Figlio Perduto
by Roadrunnerz
Summary: This story is a sequel to Unbreakable and takes place a few months after that story ended. It centres around the kidnapping of Alex and Dimitri's young son. Other characters: David, Erica, Bianca, Edmund, Robin, Faison, Charlotte.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter I **

_Muri di vento  
Notte e scesa  
Padre e figlio sono  
Insiem' _

_Walls of wind  
Night has fallen  
Father and son are   
Together_

_Near Cardiff, Wales_

Dr.Lewellyn helped Charlotte take a seat in her brand new office. The relentless Welsh fog was causing her particular grief this morning. It made her bullet scars throb with every move.

"I can give you something stronger for the pain," Lewellyn suggested, watching her wince as she sat down uncomfortably. Although Charlotte Devane had almost fully recovered from her wounds, Lewellyn had to admit her injuries had aged her this past year and she was a far cry from the once vital woman he had known.

"No," she replied, annoyed by the suggestion, "I'm meeting with the head of the Secret Intelligence Service in twenty minutes, the last thing I want is for them to think that my mind is clouded and drugged."

"I was only thinking of your well-being Ms.Devane," he replied tersely.

"You can leave now," she instructed. "I need to speak with Nigel before the meeting."

Charlotte watched as Lewellyn walked out of her office, closing the heavy mahogany wood door behind him. Lewellyn had been her personal physician for almost two decades and she knew she it was pointless to try and hide any weaknesses from him. Still, she hated to think that any one of her employees should feel an ounce of pity for her. Now that she was alone, she allowed herself to close her eyes for a momentary respite before picking up the phone to summon Nigel Hawthrop.

After the death of Justin Black, Charlotte needed a new right-hand man and, Nigel, one of her senior agents, had been the obvious choice. Physically, he was the exact opposite his handsome predecessor; Nigel was short, balding and wore an unflattering pair of wire-rimmed glasses. However, Charlotte knew he was just as skilled in various forms of martial arts as Justin had been. He was also surprisingly intelligent, and even though he wasn't blindly obedient as Justin had been, Nigel had a fierce and unquestionable loyalty to her organization. Charlotte knew Nigel would die for her without hesitation, and sadly enough, that wasn't something she could say for all of her agents.

Nigel entered her office and sat down in front of her desk. "How are you today, Ms. Devane?"

"Things are looking up Nigel and I'll be considerably better once I receive the expected funding from the SIS to train a new crop of agents."

"You've done a remarkable job in relocating Brynn Wydd and keeping us in business since your recovery."

After Alex's escape and the death of Justin Black, Charlotte had faced numerous inquiries into her agency's dealings. Even Prime Minister Blair had threatened to put her out of business if she didn't put an end to some of the more nefarious ends of her organization.

"Everyone shakes their heads disgustedly when they find out what really goes on behind the doors of my organization," she said to Nigel, "And yet when it comes to getting the job done, nobody does it better. They just have a hard time accepting that getting the job done requires dirtying ones hands."

Nigel nodded in agreement, while taking out a thick binder from his briefcase, "In terms of finances, Brynn Wydd is now operating more soundly than it ever has. As we speak, we have seven agents abroad, carrying out seven highly paid assassinations under contract from the governments of France, Germany, the US and Japan."

Charlotte smiled and for a moment she forgot the relentless pain in her chest. "Your news is music to my ears. It means I can finally concentrate on the one thing that has kept me alive these past five months."

Nigel looked at her, puzzled, "And what is that?"

Charlotte's eyes lit up at the thought, "Revenge. Revenge for the pain and humiliation I've had to endure every day since I was shot."

_Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley, PA_

_That same day_

Dimitri Marick sat on the sofa in the study of Wildwind, engrossed in an article on gold mining prospects in Borneo.

"Maybe I should try my luck with gold, what do you think, darling?" he asked Alex. Her head was on his lap. She too was reading something but now as he moved his newspaper aside to look at her, he noticed the book rested on her chest and she had fallen asleep.

He smiled as he closed her book and put it on the coffee table. He bent down to kiss her forehead. "Or maybe we'll just stick to diamonds," he whispered, careful not to wake her.

His attention drifted back to the article, but only momentarily, until Max came running through the doors of the study, interrupting his tranquility.

"Dad, what do you think? Am I going to need these?" his son asked, holding up a pair of rain boots.

Dimitri put a finger to his lips and pointed to Alex, "Shh…your mom's sleeping."

Max looked at her and then Dimitri, and then he repeated his question in a whisper, "Do you think I'm going to need these?"

Dimitri whispered back to him, smiling at his son's excitement "Definitely."

"And what about this?" he asked, a holding up a water gun in his other hand, forgetting to whisper this time.

Alex stirred in her sleep and Max looked at Dimitri apologetically. "Sorry!" he whispered.

"Hey, Max, what are you doing?" Alex asked him sleepily, as she woke up.

"He's getting ready for our camping and fishing trip," Dimitri explained and then turned to his son, "And no, I don't think you'll need a water gun."

Max plopped himself down next to Alex, "But what if there's bears?" he asked Dimitri.

Alex pulled her son towards her, trying in vain to stop him from fidgeting. "You're going camping? And how come I wasn't invited? You're spending so much time with your Dad these days, I'm going to get jealous."

Dimitri watched them both, trying to field their questions, "There won't be any bears where we're going, so I think it's safe to say you can leave your water gun here," he told Max. Then he glanced at Alex, "I thought you'd appreciate some time to yourself at PVH, so you can focus on that research you've been doing on behalf of the Andrassy Foundation."

She gave Max a knowing smile; "He just wants you all to himself, my little Count." She was joking, but Dimitri sensed that she knew that he wanted to spend every waking moment with his son, trying to make up for the last seven years.

"Camping is for boys," Max told her, grinning. He wore a baseball cap backwards, his thick dark hair sticking out underneath.

"Well now I'm almost tempted to come along just to prove you wrong."

"If there's bears you'll be scared," Max told her.

"Oh yeah? And what are you going to do when a bear comes? Water spray him to death?"

Max laughed, "No. I'll call Dad and he'll shoot him with a stun gun, or he'll take one of his swords and protect us."

Alex whispered in his ear, "You know what I think your father is going to do?"

Max shook his head, looking at her, his black eyes open wide, "No. What?"

"I think he's going to sit there, by the campfire, eating marshmallows and reading the Financial Times while the bear comes and carries you away to his den, just like this…"

Alex stood up and picked him up, throwing him over her shoulder and carrying him out of the study screaming in delight.

Dimitri laughed as he watched them. He heard Max's screams as they went up the staircase and he leaned back in the sofa, wondering if life could possibly get any better.

It had been more than five months since Max had arrived at Wildwind and since he had rescued Alex from the clutches of Justin Black, more dead than alive. He had believed for so long that Alex was gone that even now, when he woke up in the morning and saw her lying next to him, he often felt the need to touch her, to make sure he wasn't dreaming. 'I've been given a second chance and a beautiful son. I will never forget how lucky I am.'

Less than half an hour later, Alex came back to the study. "He's sleeping now, your little camping partner," she told him. She saw him reading a new stack of papers, "What's this?" she asked.

"It's a study of how the Marick Diamond Mine in Ekati has affected its surrounding environment," he told her. He pulled her towards him, enjoying the scent of her perfume and the softness of her hair against his face, as she sat down next to him.

"You look serious," she said, putting on her glasses to read along.

"For the most part it's good news," he told her. It was the truth. He was proud of his venture in Canada's Northwest Territories and sometimes the sheer magnitude of it still took his breath away. "Unemployment has gone down in three neighbouring districts, but there's a large native reservation about 85 miles south of the mine that hasn't had a permanent physician in over a year. We have three doctors on the mining grounds at Ekati and sometimes one of them flies south to look at the most severe cases. Recently, however, one of the reservation's ground water wells was contaminated and they've had a rash of related illnesses."

Alex glanced at the reports, "That's terrible. Doesn't the Canadian government ensure that all populated areas have the necessary medical facilities to serve its inhabitants?"

"Oh the facilities are there. Getting a doctor to work up there on a permanent basis is another thing all together. Tell me, don't you have a whole team of doctors at your disposal for the Andrassy Foundation at PVH? Do you think one of them would be willing to go up there for a couple of weeks, just until the ground water contamination is under control?"

"They're researchers, Dimitri. Most of them have never practiced medicine."

He raised his glasses and frowned, "I see. I hadn't thought of that."

She looked at him, an idea forming in her mind, "But I could go."

Dimitri wasn't sure he heard right. "Are you crazy? It's late Fall now. Winter will hit them any day and when it does it's fierce and brutal. Besides, I'm not letting you travel alone that far when we still don't know if the threat of Charlotte is truly gone."

"Dimitri," she said, giving him the same look of mildly annoyed disbelief she always had when she thought he was being overprotective. "If Charlotte were still alive she would have come after us a long time ago. And if it makes you feel any better I could take a guard along. As for the approaching winter… if these people, women and children included, can survive there during January and February, surely I could cope for a couple of weeks in late October?"

Dimitri now cursed himself for having brought up the subject. "It's a whole other life up there. I don't want to see you take any risks. Forget I mentioned it."

"Dimitri! I'm not a child that needs to be kept from harm! I know how to take care of myself," she protested.

He put the papers aside and pushed her into the sofa, leaning in to kiss her, "I know you do. You're tougher than anyone else I know, but your anemia and your injuries have made you weaker than you were seven years ago. That's a fact, regardless of whether you're willing to accept it or not. I'd die rather than see you hurt again." He brushed her long hair back and skillfully began to undo the zipper on her skirt.

"Alright. I'll just go for one week then." She returned his kiss with a playful one of her own before he had a chance to protest. And before he had a chance to answer, she began unbuttoning his shirt, drawing him close to her. "If you don't let me go, I'll come camping with you and Max," she told him, in between his hungry kisses.

"Is that a threat?" he asked. He got up, half dressed, to close the door of the study.

"Absolutely," she grinned.

"Fine. One week and two guards." It was the last thing he said before he let the warmth of the woman he loved envelop him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II **

_Con un cavallo  
Vanno avanti  
In questa grande  
Oscurita _

_With a horse  
they progress  
through this immense  
Darkness_

_Pine Valley Hospital, Pine Valley, PA_

Alex was sitting in her office, going over a pile of charts once more. She was frustrated at how one of her test cases had gone from promising to dismal, when the autoimmune responses of her lab mice had suddenly and inexplicably deteriorated, when, out of nowhere, Dr. David Hayward stormed into the room and broke her concentration.

"Alex, what are you doing here?" he asked. He looked annoyed and Alex suspected it was because of her presence. Because it meant he was unable to retreat into the quiet privacy of what he firmly believed was _his_ office and his alone. When Alex had returned to Pine Valley, and, consequently, to the Andrassy Foundation, he had reluctantly agreed to, once again, share an office with her. Luckily, she spent most of her time in the laboratories in the basement of the hospital, so they seldom saw one another.

"I work here," she said, barely acknowledging him, her attention back on the papers in front of her.

"I forget sometimes. You're almost never here," he spat back, sitting down at his desk and stretching his limbs after what Alex assumed was probably a grueling operation.

"I'm sure the fact that I rarely use this office is not all too upsetting to you."

"Oh, Alex," he yawned loudly. "One of these days we're going to go out for a drink and purge ourselves of all this animosity." Hayward looked too tired to go another round in their endless series of verbal sparring.

Their working relationship had always been complicated, to say the least.

Alex despised him for what she believed was his role in her former roommate's death, and he hated the fact that she couldn't see past their history and acknowledge him for the brilliant physician he was.

Although she hated his ethics, Alex had to admit she had a grudging respect for him as a surgeon who was a leader in his field, and he in turn, occasionally admitted to her genius in the lab. But she also knew that reluctant mutual respect was as close to civility as they would ever come.

"Actually, maybe it's a good thing you're here," David admitted. "I was thinking of putting my latest patient on one of these three combination drug treatments." He handed Alex a manila file folder, "Tell me what you think of these. I'm almost certain the second option is the best one but I guess another opinion couldn't hurt."

She raised her glasses and stared at him, "You're actually asking me for my opinion?"

He frowned, "Spare me the sarcasm. Contrary to what you may believe, my patients well-being is the only motivating factor in any decisions I make."

Alex read the charts in front of her, "Poor thing. She's only eighteen?"

David nodded, "Yes, but she's a fighter. She was born with a congenital heart defect. According to most doctors she shouldn't have lived to see her tenth birthday."

"I agree with you," she told him.

"About what?" he asked.

"The second option. It's the most aggressive course of chemical treatment you could do in her case, and at the same time you're minimizing the potential side effects and maximizing her quality of life."

David smiled, as she handed him back the folder, "So you actually have the capacity to be objective. You never cease to amaze me, Alex."

"Now look who's sarcastic." She hated his smugness and how it seemed to define every one of his remarks. "If you don't think I'm capable of leaving my bias against you away from a crucial situation like this, then don't ask me for my opinion again."

He observed her, "Just kidding, Dr. Marick. Surely, your seven year absence didn't leave you without a sense of humour?"

"What can I say? You just don't amuse me, David." She got up from her chair, and when she did she felt like something knocked the wind out of her. It was difficult to get air into her lungs and she held on to her desk for support.

David rushed over, putting his arms around her so she didn't lose her balance. "What's wrong?" he asked, and for a moment Alex thought she heard a trace of genuine concern in his voice.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the lightheadedness to pass, "It's nothing. I'm fine." She _did_ know what it was but didn't feel like explaining it to Hayward.

David helped her walk over to the couch, making her sit down. "You look pale as a ghost and it seems like you can't get any air into your lungs." he observed. "Something's obviously wrong. Are you going to tell me what it is or do I have to drag it out of you?"

Alex frowned. He as persistent as he was smug. "Look, I have anemia, and, sometimes, when I get caught up in my research, I forget to take my iron. That's what happened today. It's my own fault."

He looked at her, as if debating whether she was telling him the truth, "Anemia? What kind?"

"Acquired hemolytic."

"Since when?" Hayward pressed.

"Four years ago. I had an accident where I lost a lot of blood, I think that triggered it," she told him.

"Do you have your iron pills with you?" he asked her.

She nodded, "They're in my purse."

He got up, poured her a glass of water, and retrieved the container from her purse. He looked at the label, "This is a high dosage," he remarked, "You must have a very low red blood cell count." He made her swallow the pill and lie down. "I don't think you should drive home like this. Why don't I call Dimitri and ask him to pick you up…" David walked towards his desk.

Alex grabbed his arm and stopped him, "No. Don't do that. Really, I'm fine. Once the iron's in my blood stream, the lightheadedness will pass, you know that."

"But you're still having trouble breathing. Obviously the flow of oxygen's already been compromised."

She gave him an irritated look, "Listen, I'm supposed to fly to a remote native reservation in Canada's Northwest Territories in two days. If you give Dimitri cause for alarm, and in this case it would be a _false_ alarm, he'll insist that I don't go."

He ignored her admonition. "Maybe he's got a point. Besides what in the world are you going to do up there anyway?"

"It's a settlement close to Dimitri's diamond mine. At the moment there's not a single doctor there. They've had a contaminated well that's caused a breakout of illnesses as a result. Dimitri asked me to send someone from the Andrassy Foundation up there, but you know how it is, they're all researchers. Most of them have never practiced."

"So you volunteered yourself. How noble."

"Yeah, well, that makes one of us."

"You could have asked me to come along," he pointed out, pretending to be offended.

"Right. As if Dr. David Hayward would have time for such trivial medical missions."

He laughed at her choice of words, "Unlike a lowly physician such as yourself? I'll tell you what Alex, I have another major surgery scheduled for tomorrow, and then it just so happens that my slate is clear for the rest of the week. I would love to join you as you help the world's poor and downtrodden, St. Alex."

"Lucky me." Alex sighed as she watched Hayward move over to his cabinet and pull out a stethoscope. "What are you doing?" she asked.

He sat down next to her, "You're breathing as though you just ran a marathon. I want to check your heart rate. Humour me."

She eyed him with unease, as she began undoing the top buttons of her blouse. He moved his stethoscope to her chest and undid another two buttons himself. She tried to stop him.

"Don't be coy, we're both doc…" he started but then stopped himself in mid-sentence when he saw the knife scars on her chest.

Alex turned away, unable to meet his gaze and David watched uncomfortably as she closed her eyes.

He gently ran his fingers over the scars, spotting another one further below on her stomach. "I'm sorry," he said softly, letting her know he meant it.

"What happened?" he asked, the smugness gone from his voice, as he measured her heart rate.

Alex hated the fact that within the span of a few minutes, David knew of some of her most intimate secrets. Knew about the reminders she wouldn't ever be able to shake from her years with Charlotte. Things that she didn't want anyone but Dimitri to know about. "One of Charlotte's agents was reluctant to let me leave," she said, as casually as her voice allowed.

"I see," he mumbled, not pressing her for more this time. He took his time examining her, checking for any irregularities in her heartbeat.

"Well?" she asked him impatiently, "Am I going to live?"

"I think you should do a blood test, just to be on the safe side."

She sat up and buttoned her blouse back up. "I'm fine, really. I'm touched by your concern, I truly am, or maybe 'shocked' is a better word, but I _am_ fine."

"You're an impossible patient, that's what you are…" he removed his stethoscope; brushing aside his thick, black hair in the process.

She was anxious to get off the topic of her health. "So are you serious about coming with me to Canada? Or was that a reflex suggestion?"

He smirked. "Sure I'm serious. Why not? It'll look good on my resume, when I apply for Chief of Staff. It's about time that dinosaur, Martin, retires."

Alex took an odd comfort seeing the smugness back where she expected it. "Of course…you, of all people, would see a self serving opportunity in a trip like this."

He grinned, "I'm an opportunist, Alex. But you knew that. Make sure we take along a camera to bear testimony of my good deeds."

She was about to leave the office when she noticed him picking up his jacket and following her. "What are you doing now?"

He opened the door for her, smiling and showing off his impossibly white teeth. "What do you think? Since you won't let me call Dimitri, I'm driving you home. That way we can discuss our upcoming trip."

_Near Cardiff, Wales_

Nigel Hawthrop looked out the windows of Brynn Wydd and watched as the gates opened and a black Bentley entered the grounds.

Unlike the previous grounds, near Swansea, this new compound had much tighter security and no one would be able to enter without an initial authorization from the guard at the gates. Even though they were no longer located near the village of Brynn Wydd, Charlotte had decided to keep the name, as a tribute to the original location. Nigel watched, as Charlotte got out of the Bentley, unable to walk without the help of a cane. There was a light drizzle outside and Dr.Lewellyn, who had been traveling in the car with Charlotte, moved to cover her with an umbrella.

As she entered the building, Nigel walked downstairs to meet her. "Good morning, Ms.Devane."

She gave him a pained, irritated expression, "That remains to be seen."

"I've got a fresh pot of tea ready for you in the office," Nigel told her.

"Are you my butler now?" she snapped at him. She knew he didn't deserve her rudeness, but the constant pain she was in could make her snappy and irritable. "I would think I pay you too well to waste time preparing me tea. Surely you have better things to do with your time."

Nigel nodded, unaffected by her outburst, "Sometimes, I find my greatest moments of inspiration whilst doing the most mundane of tasks."

The fact that her new co-director didn't miss a beat made Charlotte smile. She led him into her office and they both sat down.

She didn't waste time as she approached the subject at hand, "I called you in here today for one and only one reason, because I need your help to carry out a very important yet very personal task."

"Since waking from my coma five months ago, the only thing that mattered to me was getting Brynn Wydd back on track. Of ensuring that I would remain in business with the blessing and protection of Her Majesty's Government. I've done this, Nigel, and I've also dealt with the repercussions of Justin Black's murder at the hands of Dimitri Marick. Brynn Wydd is now fully relocated and financially we are doing even better than I had hoped. Now it's time to make those pay that made me suffer."

Nigel nodded, "Of course. I understand."

Charlotte's eyes pierced his, "I'm not talking about killing Alexandra, or Heidi or even Dimitri. That would provide me with only a momentary satisfaction. What I want is for them to suffer in the same way that every minute of every day since I've been shot, I have suffered. So I ask you, Nigel, what's worse than killing someone?"

He barely hesitated before responding, "You take the one thing that's most precious to them and force them to live without it. Every day for the rest of their lives."

Charlotte smiled gleefully, exceptionally pleased with his answer, "Exactly."

"So where do we start?"

"For Heidi, we start by eliminating Philip, and for my daughter, well…it's obvious, isn't it? We take her son."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III **

_Ma ad un tratto  
Il bimbo trema  
Dalla paura  
Freddo si fa _

_But suddenly  
The boy trembles  
With fear  
It gets cold_

_Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley, PA_

_Next day_

When Alex walked through the doors of the study at Wildwind she saw Max and Dimitri, kneeling by the coffee table engrossed in a game of chess.

Alex knelt down next to Max, tousling his hair, "I didn't know you knew how to play chess."

"Dad's teaching me, " he explained without taking his eyes off the chessboard.

"So who's winning?"

Max sighed and leaned against her, "Dad is, of course. He said he used to be a champion in Hungary."

Dimitri put a finger to his lips when Alex chuckled. "Really, your Dad said that?"

"He's really good," Max told her.

"Well, in that case your Dad won't mind if I help you out then, will he?" she looked at Dimitri, smirking.

Dimitri held up his hands in protest, "Hey, that's not fair. Two against one!"

Alex whispered some instructions to Max, who then moved his bishop across the board and announced, "Check!"

Dimitri moved his king out of the way and Alex whispered something else to her son. This time Max moved his knight and he grinned at his father, "Check!"

Once again, Dimitri moved his king out of the way and immediately afterwards, under Alex's guidance; Max moved his rook to face Dimitri's king.

This time Max smile lit up his face, "Check mate!" He looked at Alex wide-eyed, "I can't believe we beat Dad!"

"You know your mom hates to lose, I had to let her win," Dimitri explained.

Alex threw a chess piece at him. "Nice try, Kasparov."

Max heard one of the guards open the door and he ran to see who was there. Meanwhile, Dimitri got up and moved next to Alex, on the floor.

"If you keep this up, he's going to think you're smarter than me," he said pulling her into a kiss.

Alex laughed, "Oh don't worry, he already knows." She loved way he wrapped his arms around her, tender and strong at once. "He worships you, you know," she told him.

"Nah, he's just gullible," he replied, taking her clip out of her hair and watching it fall over her shoulders.

Alex shook her head, "Every time I talk to him, he tells me how amazing you are."

He playfully moved his fingers through her hair; "You're just saying that to boost my ego after that game of chess."

She laughed, "I don't think you need any help with that." Then she turned serious. "I love you for loving him so much."

"How could I not?" he asked her quietly. "He's the most incredible gift you could ever have given me and..." His words were interrupted when Max, Bianca and Trevor, one of their guards, entered the study.

"Look who's here," Max pointed out, pulling Bianca into the room by the arm.

Bianca smiled shyly, "Hi guys."

Dimitri got up to give her a hug, "Let me take this knapsack, sweetheart, and I'll get Stella to bring you a cup of hot chocolate, or would you prefer coffee or tea?"

"Hot chocolate's fine," she told him as he took her bag.

Alex gave her a kiss on the cheek. "So, to what do we owe the pleasure of seeing you?"

"Bianca's coming camping with us tomorrow so she's staying here tonight," Max explained.

Bianca shrugged her shoulders, "What can I say, once a tomboy, always a tomboy."

Her statement couldn't have been further from the truth. Bianca Montgomery, the daughter of Dimitri's ex-wife Erica Kane, had grown into an exceptionally lovely young woman. She had a brilliant mind, coupled with an endearing shyness and a genuine warmth that Alex adored. 'She's nothing like her mother,' Alex often thought.

"Dimitri told me you're going to a native community in northern Canada, while we're going camping," Bianca said as she sat down next to her.

Alex nodded. "Dimitri thinks I'm too fragile to go camping, so I thought I'd head to the real wilderness instead, to prove him wrong, of course."

Bianca laughed, "Of course."

"Tell me about your studies at Princeton," Alex her, "You're doing a program in International Relations right?"

"I'm in the fourth year," she answered. "It's interesting stuff. Trying to understand how the decisions of our foreign policy makers can affect the lives of millions of people. Sometimes it seems the more I know about politics the less hope I have for our future."

"People like you give me hope for the future," Alex told her.

Bianca blushed, "Mom thinks I may be a career diplomat some day. She told me I better get used to wearing lavish evening gowns."

Alex put her arms around her, "Oh I've got a feeling you will look beautiful no matter what you wear, and that your mind will speak for itself."

Alex saw Max getting sleepy, and she excused herself. "I think I'm going to take this camper up to bed," she looked at Max, "How about it, my little Count?" She took his hand in hers, and watched him give Bianca a goodnight kiss. "I'm sure my charming husband will come in to entertain you shortly."

She saw Dimitri in the hallway speaking to Trevor, one of the two guards on duty inside the estate tonight.

Max waved to them, "Goodnight Dad. Goodnight Trevor."

Dimitri stopped his conversation and picked up Max to kiss him goodnight.

"I want to talk to you about which guards are going to Canada with you, and who's coming along with me, Max and Bianca, " Dimitri told Alex before she had a chance to head up the stairs.

"I told you, Hayward is coming with me. No guards." She could be stubborn too, she decided.

"We'll see," she heard him mumble as she finally headed upstairs. She heard Trevor coughing in the hallway. He had been fighting a cold for well over two weeks and Alex made a mental reminder to give him some time off, or to check him out first chance she got.

_Near Cardiff, Wales_

Charlotte sat on a bench in the brand new gymnasium of her compound, watching three of her agents perform a brown belt kata. She enjoyed the precision of these karate movements and when they were done well it gave her hope that her agents would approach their assignments with equal precision. Charlotte firmly believed that physical fitness and a sound mental acumen went hand in hand.

She spotted Nigel entering the gym and walk towards her.

"What is it?" she demanded. Watching her agents practice kata wasn't something she often found time for, so she hated the interruption.

"There is a phone call for you in the office. It's your direct line."

Nigel attempted to help her get up, but Charlotte pushed him away.

"I'm not an invalid," she hissed, as she got up with considerable difficulty, clutching on to her cane.

"Of course not," Nigel acknowledged.

She walked into her office and picked up the phone, as Nigel stood next to her.

"Yes?"

The man on the other line coughed before he started speaking, "He's taking the boy away for a weekend camping trip, along with Erica Kane's daughter. I can have him at Brynn Wydd for you by Sunday night."

"Good. In fact...how about you take them both, Max _and_ Erica Kane's daughter? Can you manage that?"

"Not a problem."

"I expect to hear from you again tomorrow," she said and hung up the phone before he had a chance to reply.

Charlotte smiled at Nigel, "Imagine the guilt Dimitri will feel when he realizes he's lost not only his son, but the daughter of his ex-wife as well. Just think of the animosity it will create between Alexandra and Erica, and eventually between Alexandra and Dimitri. What an unexpected bonus!"

Nigel watched as her lips curled into a smile.

"I'm starting to feel very well again, Nigel."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV **

_Padre oh padre  
Tu non hai visto  
Re degli elfi  
Ecolo la _

_Father oh father  
Haven't you seen,  
The King of the elves   
There he is_

_Bison River First Nations, Northwest Territories, Canada_

The first thing David Hayward noticed when he stepped off the Cessna in Bison River was the icy chill of the wind as it hit his face. In Pine Valley, a wind so fierce would not have dared to make an appearance before January, and here it was, proudly hissing across the airfield in late October.

A man, who appeared to be in his mid-forties, with pockmarked skin, a thick braid of black hair and a wide smile, ran to meet them. He held out his hand, "Welcome to Bison River, I'm Joseph Mercredi, the Chief, and this is my brother, Samuel." A larger, heavier version of Joseph stepped forward and he too, shook hands with Alex and David.

"Samuel will give you any help you need," Joseph explained.

Joseph led them to his pick-up truck, and Samuel started loading their supplies into the back. When he was done, he gave his brother a hand signal and then he hopped into the back of the truck himself before they sped off into the heart of the settlement.

Alex had seen pictures and news reports of native reservations in the States, but she wasn't quite prepared for what they saw along the way. Most of the homes were made of what looked like plywood and many of them were covered in graffiti and had their windows boarded up with more cheap wood. Children and stray dogs walked and played along a dirt road that was full of potholes. Some of them waved as they drove by.

"We're a special rez," Joseph explained. "We have a real mix of people here, whites, Cree, Dene and Metis, you name it, they all live in Bison River." He grinned. "In harmony."

David noticed a man holding a bottle of liquor stumble outside one of the homes, and Joseph caught his disapproving glance.

"Most reservations in the Northwest territories are dry. Bison River is not," he explained.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked.

"Most reservations ban the sale of alcohol, but here it's legal. The difference is, in Bison River people have jobs, thanks to the Marick Mine. And if they have jobs, they have money, so I figure if they are going to spend money on booze they might as well do it here, instead of the nearest white town."

He pointed out an unremarkable gray building in the centre of the settlement, "That's the bar and restaurant," he said.

Alex said nothing as she held on to her seat during the bumpy ride. She had deliberately avoided telling the chief that she was Dimitri Marick's wife, telling him only her first name and mentioning that Marick Industries had funded their mission.

"In other words, to hell with your constituents as long as there's money flowing into the Chief's office," Hayward pointed out.

The Chief shot him an angry look, "You just arrived. It's a little early to start offending me, isn't it?"

Alex grimaced as she watched the exchange, wondering what had possessed her to let Hayward come along.

David looked at Alex and shrugged his shoulders, clearly unconcerned about possibly insulting the Chief, "I'm a doctor, not a diplomat. I call them as I see them."

Joseph stopped the pick up truck and gave Hayward another icy glare as he opened the doors. "This is it," he said pointing to the blue coloured building in front of them, "Our clinic."

The same thick, boreal forest that surrounded the entire town also bordered the rear of the building.

Samuel unloaded their boxes and the two brothers drove off without another word.

Alex stood in front of the doors, put her hands on her hips and looked at Hayward, "Was that necessary?"

"Hey…" He picked up one of the boxes and walked towards the door, "I have a mother and brother who are both con artists," he replied, unapologetic, " Let's just say, I have pretty good instincts when it comes to spotting them."

The door of the clinic opened and a young woman came out to greet them, "You must be the two doctors from Marick Industries. I am so glad to see you." Alex noticed that the woman too, had long black hair that framed her exquisite face in the form of two braids. Her voice had a melodic lilt when she spoke. "I'm Tina Sahke. I'm the Nurse."

Alex and David introduced themselves, surprised to see someone barely in her mid-twenties running a clinic by herself, " Let me help you with those supplies," Tina said, " I can't tell you how much we appreciate them."

They carried everything inside and Alex spotted a Native girl with a runny nose sitting on a bare chair, leafing through a magazine. "Hi there," she said to her, "Is this your daughter?" she asked Tina.

Tina laughed, "No. That's Josie Jikha. She likes to come here because it's too smoky in her house. Right Josie?"

David Hayward pulled Tina aside, "What do you mean 'too smoky'?"

Tina whispered to him, "She has asthma and diabetes, and her whole family smokes, so she likes to come here. It's the only place in town that has a 'no smoking' sign on the wall."

"Can't you get her family to quit? For her sake?"

Tina shook her head. "That's not our way. We don't interfere."

"So she spends the day in a medical clinic?"

Tina shrugged her shoulders, "Why not? During the week she usually attends school." She observed Alex unloading the medical supplies onto a nearby cabinet. "You can't put those there," she told her. She handed Alex a set of keys, "Here, lock them up over there, behind the metal bars."

Tina saw Alex's puzzled glance, "We've had too many break-ins lately to leave anything unlocked. A lot of teenagers here are struggling with substance abuse. To leave medicine unlocked would be like leaving an open invitation for them to come here and take it."

"Wonderful," Hayward mumbled. "Should we be sleeping with a gun under the pillow? Which reminds me, where _will_ we be staying?"

Tina, as Joseph had done earlier, gave him a sullen look, "We're not savages, Dr. Hayward. We're a community that has seen its share of hard times. We all appreciate that you came here to help us out, but we don't need your condescension."

"I'm sorry, Tina. David's had a rough flight here," Alex cut in. "He's not usually this rude. Please accept our apologies." She gave Hayward a look that made Tina's seem pleasant by comparison.

The nurse pointed to a room next to the exam room. "There are two beds there, and a divider that you can put up between them. I'm afraid that's the only accommodation available, unless you'd like to stay with me and my boyfriend," Tina offered Alex.

She shook her head, "This is fine, Tina. Thank you."

"Good, I'll let you two unpack. We have a long day ahead tomorrow. The community knows you're only here for a week so you can expect line-ups, and we have to make house calls as well." She left, without saying good-bye.

"I can't believe you sometimes," Alex told Hayward as soon as Tina was gone "We've been here less than an hour and already the only three people we've met, despise us."

Hayward helped her unload the medical supplies and lock them up, "We're here to treat and diagnose these people not make friends." He dropped one of the containers and cursed out loud. "By the way, it's freezing in here. You'd think they could've at least had the furnace going for us. So much for hospitality and gratitude."

Alex smirked. "Were you expecting a chocolate on your pillow too?"

Neither her sarcasm nor her annoyance seemed to bother him in the least. He turned to her, "You look exhausted. Why don't you retire to our lovely suite and I'll finish up here. I'll even light a fire to keep us warm." He grinned, both at Alex and at the girl, Josie. "What do you say, you want to help me?" he asked the girl.

Much to Alex's surprise, Josie returned David's smile and spoke her first words since their arrival, "Sure, I'll help you."

_Chi Chee Maun Campground, PA_

_Next day_

"Oh you devil, I'm going to kill you!" Bianca jumped up in genuine terror when Max dropped the huge, wet bullfrog in her lap.

Max tried to run away but the fact that he couldn't stop laughing slowed him down considerably. One of the two guards, Rajiv, ran after them as they went off into the woods.

In the meantime, Dimitri, with Trevor's help, put up the second tent. He saw Trevor overcome by another coughing fit that forced him to sit down. "Are you alright?" Dimitri asked him.

"Of course, sir," he said, embarrassed. "It's years of a bad habit that's catching up to me."

"Alex insisted that I give you some time off to recuperate, I'm surprised Shawn asked you to come on this trip with us." Shawn O'Malley, former bodyguard to President Bush, was the head of Dimitri's ten-man security detail.

"I requested it," Trevor replied, "I've loved camping since I was a kid."

"Well, that makes two of us." Dimitri wondered if he was telling him the truth about the cough being a result of his smoking habit. He reminded himself to ask Alex when she got back. She would know the difference.

After a barbequed dinner, and after Max had exhausted both Bianca and Rajiv, they retired to their respective tents. Max, Bianca, and Dimitri in one, the two guards in the other.

Trevor heard Max chatting excitedly in the tent next to them.

"This is so great Dad, I've never been camping," he heard him say. "Goodnight."

Dimitri moved to kiss him, "Goodnight. And I meant what I said about tomorrow, I expect you to catch a big fish for Bianca, to make up for what you did to her today."

"As if," Bianca grumbled, her voice already sleepy.

Rajiv had the night watch and Trevor handed him a steaming mug of coffee, "Here, I made you something to help keep you awake tonight."

"Thanks. I'll need it, after chasing those two around all afternoon." He said it with a smile. Having three children of his own, Rajiv felt surprisingly at home in his current assignment.

Trevor pretended to fall asleep and waited patiently until Rajiv was out cold from the drug he had put in the coffee.

When he was certain that his colleague was no threat, Trevor left his tent.

He saw Dimitri Marick sitting outside of his tent, stoking the fire and lighting a cigar.

Dimitri gave him a strange look as Trevor approached him.

"What are you still doing up?" he asked him, "I thought Rajiv had the night shift?"

It was the last thing he said before he felt the butt of Trevor's pistol come crashing down onto the back of his head.

_Near Brynn Wydd, Wales_

_Same day_

Heidi walked home from the doctor's office and by the time she reached the doors of her home, the smile she'd worn for the entire trip suddenly got bigger.

She remembered the doctors words, "You're going to be a mother."

A child. _Her_ child. It seemed to her she had spent her whole life looking after children, and yet the prospect of being a mother herself was an unexpected thrill. She wondered if every new mother felt as though her child was the world's very first.

She remembered the day Maximillian Marick was born; in the same cottage where she would spend the next six years helping Alex raise him. Max, the little boy she would come to love as much as if he were her own son. She remembered watching him take his first steps, and speak his first words; all the while in awe of the unbreakable bond she saw developing between mother and son.

'And now, I'm going to be a mum too. I can't wait to call Alex,' she thought to herself, 'As soon as I tell Philip.'

She entered their home surprised to see a 'Closed' sign hanging outside of her husband's butcher shop. She opened the door and went upstairs to their living quarters.

"Philip, I'm home," she called out as she walked down the corridor to their bedroom.

When she got there, she saw Philip lying on their bed, on his side, asleep.

"What are you doing, taking a nap in the middle of the day?" she moved to sit next to him and stir him awake. She was far too excited to keep this news from him for even another minute.

"Honey, I have to tell you something…" she started. She moved her hand along his cheek and then drew it back in shook. His body was cold. Ice cold.

"Philip…?" Heidi's voice began to quake.

She forced herself to touch him again, feeling the unnatural coolness of his skin.

"Philip, oh my god…" she removed his blanket and turned him around. Then she saw that there were two bullet wounds in his chest. Two bullet wounds in almost the same spots where Heidi had shot Charlotte six months earlier.

The sheet Philip was lying on was covered in blood.

Heidi thought she was going to scream but when she opened her mouth, no sound came out.

Instead, she fainted.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter V **

_Figlio perduto  
Vuoi fare un gioco?  
Gioia ti porto.  
Vieni con me _

_Lost son  
Do you want to play?  
I bring you joy  
Come with me_

_Bison River First Nation, Northwest Territories, Canada_

Alex played tiredly with the moose stew in her bowl, too exhausted to eat. She was sitting at the small, candlelit table inside the clinic with David and Josie, having her first solid meal at the end of a grueling day.

They had begun seeing people at seven in the morning, some of whom had already waited in front of the clinic since sunrise. Most of their patients they saw had illnesses related to the groundwater contamination with symptoms that ranged from severe diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, and vomiting. Four of their elderly patients were so dehydrated both Alex and David decided on a calling in a Medevac helicopter to take them to the nearest hospital in Yellowknife.

In the afternoon, while David continued to deal with the most severe cases at the clinic, Alex joined Tina on a round of house calls that dealt with chronic health problems not related to the contamination.

"I'm glad it's you that's coming with me, and not your colleague," Tina had told her as they walked along a short cut through a patch of forest to reach the western half of the town. "Our first patient is a fifteen year old girl who tried to kill herself a couple of days ago. Her brother got there just in time. We'll need to change the bandages on her wrists."

Alex had taken a deep breath as she thought of her own staged suicide in Wales. 'I almost left my son without a mother. With that monster, Charlotte.' Even now, she often wore long sleeves or thick bracelets to cover the scars on her wrists, although they were barely noticeable. The anemia she got as a result was enough of a constant reminder, she didn't need any others.

"Why would a fifteen year old girl try to kill herself?" she had asked Tina.

"I think her boyfriend tried to leave her, or maybe she was high sniffing gas. Lots of kids do that here, because they're bored, and when they're high, their brains are fried. They do the dumbest things then."

Tina had spotted a plastic bag lying next to a tree trunk and picked it up to show Alex, "See this is what I mean, they fill it up with snowmobile gasoline or any solvent, hair spray or even glue. And they sit there and inhale, all night sometimes."

When they had arrived at the house, Tina had watched her as Alex gently changed the girl's bandages. When she was done Tina had been ready to leave, but Alex wasn't. There was something about the girl that made her realize she needed more someone to make sure her bandages were clean. Alex stayed behind and sat with the girl. She chatted with her, not about her suicide attempt but about trivial things. What TV shows she liked, what she wanted to be when she grew up, whether she liked to play sports, and other things she couldn't remember now. She did remember that at one point she started to cry, and then she held her until she was ready to let go.

Tina had been waiting outside for her, smoking a cigarette, "You're not just a doctor," she had told her.

"What do you mean?" Alex had asked her, shivering in the cold outside.

"You're a healer," she said, her voice holding a newfound respect, "You sat there and you just listened to that girl. That's what she really needed, someone who gives a damn. And you knew that."

Now as she sat at the table with Hayward and Josie, Alex wondered how the girl was doing.

"Stop playing with your food!" she suddenly heard Hayward exclaim, making her drop her spoon and lose her thoughts. For a moment, Alex thought David was talking to her, but then she realized it was Josie.

"I'm not hungry," the little girl told him, pouting.

"You've been tagging along with me all day and the only thing I've seen you eat is a bag of chips. You've got diabetes for gods sake, do you want to get sick?" he said sternly.

"What do you care?" she asked him.

"If I didn't care I wouldn't be yelling at you!"

"No you don't."

"Yes, I _do_!"

"No you _don't_!"

Alex watched as David clenched his teeth in frustration.

"Fine," he conceded. "Why don't we share the peas? One spoon for you, one spoon for me."

The girl made a face, "Ewww…gross."

"Not the same spoon, silly."

Alex laughed. "That _is_ gross, isn't it?"

David rolled his eyes. "I'm now eating some peas…and you're having the next spoon."

Alex watched as Josie finally took a bite of them even though she made a face.

"Well." She turned to Hayward with a grin, "Looks like you finally met your match."

After the meal, Alex listened in amusement as David read her some article about a teenage boy band and what hair products they used. And, much later, when Josie finally fell asleep in his bed, she saw him covering her with his blanket.

"Doesn't anyone miss that girl?" Alex asked him sleepily from her bed. "And where are you going to sleep tonight?"

Hayward shrugged his shoulders, "I guess the floor will have to do, or maybe one of the cots in the patients room. Or maybe… I'll just forget about sleep."

He picked up his winter coat. "I'm going to check out that grungy bar we saw on our way in, want to join me?" he asked Alex.

Couldn't conceive getting up, much less going outside for a drink. "No, thanks," she mumbled.

"I'll let you know what you missed," he shot back, opening the door, sending in a gush of cold air.

Only half awake, Alex noticed something else when he opened the door. That it wasn't just cold air that had wafted inside, but something else too.

Snowflakes.

_Chi Chee Maun Campground, PA_

The first sensation Dimitri Marick felt when he woke up, was pain. A fierce, throbbing pain that began at the rear of his head and, with each movement, no matter how small, permeated through his entire upper body.

He opened his eyes slowly and cautiously and it was then that he felt a second sensation: _wetness. _He heard little splashes of sound; one raindrop after another was falling on him. Dimitri's eyes were open now and he saw only darkness, leading him to believe that he had lost his sight, until he caught the faint outline of a tent next to him.

It was then that he realized it was night and out here in the woods, it was pitch dark.

He heard himself groan as he tried to sit up, using his arms to push himself off the wet, slushy ground. As all his senses started to return now and now he realized that he wasn't just wet and in pain, but also freezing cold.

He started shaking uncontrollably and heard his teeth chattering. In spite of it all, he tried to take it one step further and stand up. He forced himself to push the pain to the back of his mind. Forced his legs to carry the weight of his shaking body.

Taking his first steps, Dimitri stumbled and, unable to find something to hold on to, he fell back down again. The entire procedure left him so nauseated he threw up immediately afterward and then started the whole process all over again.

The second time he made it further, as his legs reluctantly carried him towards the tent.

"Max! Bianca!" He tried to yell their names out loud, but his voice wasn't much louder than if he was speaking to someone right next to him. He hobbled into the ten, shocked to find it was eerily cold and empty. The campfire looked like it had gone out some time ago.

"_Max! Bianca_!" he yelled this time. He saw his flashlight lying on the floor of the tent and he picked it up, clumsily making his way to the guards' tent, the pain in his head almost blinding him.

"Trevor! Rajiv!" he called their names as he entered the tent and stopped when he saw Rajiv lying on the floor, lifeless.

He nudged him but there was no response. Then he felt for a pulse, relieved to see there was one, even if it was faint. The person who had knocked him out had done the same to Rajiv.

Dimitri slumped down in the tent as the realization of what had happened slowly washed over him.

He remembered Trevor coming out of the tent, greeting him as he had stoked the fire. He remembered too, the odd look in the guard's eyes, and then he remembered only darkness.

'Trevor knocked me out. And Max and Bianca are gone. Oh God…' Dimitri clutched his head in pain. 'Please make this be a dream.' He realized he was still shaking, cold and wet.

"Have to…have to get out of these clothes," he told himself, forcing himself to think rather than react.

He stumbled back to his tent and, slowly and painfully, changed his clothes. He found a bottle of aspirin and some water. He poured out four pills and made himself swallow them in spite of the nausea that almost made him throw up again.

Outside the rain pounded down onto the plastic tent walls. Even though his clothes were now dry, he was still shaking.

"They took Max. They took my son." The notion of his gentle son in the clutches of some monster was unbearable. There wasn't much in life that Dimitri Marick feared. He could remember feeling the way he did now only once before; when he had entered Alex's cottage in Wales and saw her lying on the floor, drenched in blood. The helplessness he had felt then had been more terrifying than anything else he had ever faced.

Dimitri spotted his cell phone on the floor of the tent. His first instinct was to dial 911 but then he stopped himself.

'Charlotte Devane…' he realized. 'There's no one else who would do this…the same Charlotte whose brutal organization is protected by all major western governments.'

Alerting the police would be nothing but an exercise in futility, as it had been when Alex disappeared seven years ago.

Thinking of her suddenly made him remember that she was in Canada with David Hayward, 'Oh god…what am I going to tell you?'

He couldn't bring himself to dial her number either. Not yet.

He thought of calling the head of his security team, Shawn O'Malley but, again, he stopped himself. 'Trevor was obviously part of this, who's to say Charlotte didn't get to Shawn as well?' he reasoned.

And it wasn't just Max. Bianca was gone too. 'Erica…I have to tell Erica. How in the world is she going to react?' He threw the cell phone down in frustration, still unable to think clearly.

He checked the time on his Omega watch. It was 4am.

Dimitri picked up the cell phone again and instead of making a call he decided to tackle the half hour walk to the car.

Deciding it was better to go for help than stay with Rajiv, Dimitri used his flashlight to slowly make his way through the forest.

He pushed images of his frightened son from his mind. 'Now is not the time for panicking. I have to be strong. For Max.'


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter VI **

_Padre oh padre  
Hai gia sentito  
Cosa mi dice  
E che vuol' far? _

_Father oh father  
Have you heard  
what he said  
And what he will do?_

_Bison River First Nation, Northwest Territories, Canada_

David Hayward barely saw the sign that said 'Bison River Tavern' for all the blowing snow that whirled around him.

'This is unreal,' he thought. 'It's not even Thanksgiving yet, and I'm caught in a snow storm.'

He opened the doors of the bar and a whiff of warm, smoke filled air escaped to the outside blurring the clear night air. Although there were few people walking around the streets outside, the bar was as full and lively as any bar in Pine Valley would have been on a Friday night.

The strains of a country song filled the room and Hayward noticed some couples dancing on a tiny dance floor, beer bottles in hand. The bar was filled with natives and non-natives alike. In fact, a sizeable number of the patrons were blond and blue-eyed, making David look Native by comparison.

He sat down at one of the bar stools, "Just give me whatever local beer you have."

The bartender laughed. "Nothing's local here. Everything's flown in." He poured him a dark ale into a tall glass.

"That's absolutely perfect," David said eyeing the contents.

'You're not from around here, are you?"

David grinned, "What gave it away?"

A group of raucous men sat next to him and David saw the bartender refusing to serve one of them any more. The man started to argue, spewing a jumble of slurred obscenities, but the bartender, a large man who stood almost a foot taller than David, wouldn't budge.

"You know the drill, Jihka. Don't make me kick your ass out."

David looked at the bartender, "What's his name?"

"George. George Jihka. He works as a foreman at the Marick Mine."

Hayward tried to catch the drunken man's attention, "Hey!" he shouted. "Do you have a daughter? A ten year old girl named Josie?"

The man stared at David, his glazed eyes needing a moment to take in what he was saying. "Yeah, and what business is that of yours?"

"Well, for starters, your kid is sleeping on my bed tonight," David shot back.

The man shrugged his shoulders, "Not my problem."

"Right," the man's indifference triggered something in David. "You don't deserve a dog then, never mind a daughter." David told him.

The man stood up angrily, "Who the hell are you to talk to me about my kids?"

"People like you should be cast…" David couldn't finish his sentence before he felt George Jikha's fist make contact with his jaw.

Thankfully, the alcohol had slowed his reflexes and David managed to get in a punch in return before Jikha could hit him a second time. David's punch send the Native tumbling to the ground.

There was a loud cheer from the patrons as it signaled the beginning of something interesting. Something worth watching.

And joining.

Three other men suddenly jumped in, joining the fight. One of them grabbing David from behind, hit him in the face and knocked him off the barstool. Once he was lying on the floor they started pummeling him mercilessly, although every now and then he too managed to land a punch in one of their faces.

The bartender didn't watch the scene for long, before deciding to step.

He figured it wouldn't take long before the handsome stranger was beaten beyond recognition.

_Medical Clinic_

Alex jumped out of her bed when she heard the loud knock on the door. She looked at the bed across the room and saw that Josie was still asleep there, unperturbed by the banging on the door.

Alex heard voices coming from outside, but the howling of the wind was too loud to make out who they belonged to. She went to grab the hunting rifle that was locked up in the cabinet along with the medication,

'If this is you David…' she cursed, under her breath. 'I swear, I will use this on you for scaring me to death like this.'

Rifle in hand, Alex opened the door and saw Samuel, the chief's brother, holding up a bloodied Hayward.

"Oh god…" Alex couldn't believe what she was seeing, "David? David, what happened to you?"

Samuel gave David a push so that he could put his arms over Alex's shoulder, "He's all yours. I found him like that on the floor of the tavern."

"What do you mean?"

The Chief's brother didn't bother to answer her. He turned around, closed the door, and left, leaving Alex weighed down by David. She slowly, carefully, helped him make his way to the bed in the patient room. He groaned as Alex helped him lie down.

"Did you get into a bar fight? Tell me I'm wrong, Hayward, tell me you're not that stupid." Alex rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she grabbed a handful of disinfectant and bandages.

"The very last thing I need right now is a lecture from you," he mumbled. His lips were swollen from the punches they'd taken and there was a gaping wound above one of his eyes.

Alex glared at him. "You don't want to know what I feel like telling you right now." She examined the wound above his eye. "You need stitches there," she told him as she disinfected it. His entire face was a bloody mess.

"Ouch!" he cried out, "Tell me you're not this brutal with your regular patients!"

She put on her glasses to start the stitches, "You're a far cry from a normal patient, David. So, are you going to tell me what happened?"

"I was having a beer at the bar when I saw George Jihka."

"You saw who?"

"Josie's father. I told him she was sleeping on my bed and he just shrugged his shoulders, like he couldn't care less. So I told him what I thought about him…and he didn't like what I had to say. The rest…well, my face can tell you the rest of the story."

Alex cringed, feeling her anger subside as she pictured David going up against the man whose daughter he had forced to eat her dinner tonight.

She didn't realize Josie had been standing at the door of the medical room, listening to their conversation, while she tended to David. The girl stepped into the room and looked at Hayward, "You beat up my Dad?" she asked.

David groaned again. "Look, I'm sorry, Josie. Alex is right, it was a stupid thing to do."

"Why did you do it?" she asked him, her large black eyes telling him she wanted an honest answer.

"I told him he didn't deserve you, 'cause it's the truth."

Josie didn't know what to say to that, so she said nothing. Instead she stood in the room in silence as Alex cleaned his bruises and gave him something for the pain and the swelling.

When she finished, Alex saw the girl was still standing in the doorway, her eyes filled with tears. "Hey, what's the matter?" she asked her softly, "You're crying." She took the girl into her arms and wiped the tears from her face.

"It's my fault. What happened to him is my fault." Josie told her.

Alex shook her head, "Oh no, this is _not_ your fault, sweetheart. David's hot headed and he doesn't always think things through before plowing ahead. Don't even think to blame yourself for this. Come, it's late, you should go back to sleep."

"No. I want to stay here with him."

Alex tried to persuade her otherwise. "There's nothing you can do for him tonight, Josie. He needs to rest now and I promise I'll check on him first thing in the morning."

"I don't care. I want to stay with him."

Alex remembered the girl's stubbornness at the dinner table and decided she didn't have the energy to argue with her, "Alright, stay here then. But at least let me get the blankets from the bed, ok?"

Josie nodded thankfully and sat down next to David Hayward, watching him sleep.

_Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley, PA_

Dimitri had spent the entire two-hour drive from the campground to Wildwind contemplating his next move and trying to figure out whom he could trust.

Telling the police would mean the media would be involved too and that would serve him no purpose. He didn't need the media to alert the public into trying to find Max's kidnappers. Dimitri knew who had done this and he knew too, that the police wouldn't help him track down Charlotte Devane.

Dimitri thought of his brother, Edmund. Next to Alex, Edmund was the one person in the world he trusted implicitly, but he hated the thought of involving him in something that could threaten Brooke and his children. Dimitri knew he would never forgive himself if anything were to happen to them.

What he did decide was to confront, Shawn O'Malley, his Director of Security. While he still considered that O'Malley might be a part of the kidnapping, Dimitri had a gut feeling that he wasn't, that his judge of character had never failed him so monumentally as to make that a possibility.

Dimitri phoned O'Malley on his cell phone as he neared Wildwind and asked him to meet immediately.

O'Malley's first reaction upon seeing Dimitri walk through the door was shock. There was a coat of dried blood along his neck and his skin was red and blistered from the cold exposure.

"Mr.Marick what happened to you? Where are the others?"

Dimitri observed O'Malley's reaction to his presence. If he _was_ part of this plot then he was an exceptional actor.

"Trevor knocked out Rajiv and me. And when I woke up Max and Bianca were gone."

O'Malley shook his head in disbelief, "That's not possible, Mr. Marick…my men wouldn't…" Dimitri knew that O' Malley had handpicked his security team. It was O'Malley who had convince him their credentials were impeccable. Judging from O'Malley's reaction the thought that one of his own men could have done this was even more unfathomable to him than it had been to Dimitri.

O'Malley's own track record was flawless. Now in his late forties, O'Malley had begun his career in the military as a Navy Seal and then moved on to the Secret Service to work as a member of the Presidential security detail. Dimitri himself had triple checked his references.

"That's what I believed, Shawn. That something like this was not possible," Dimitri's voice trembled with rage. "To have my son kidnapped is one thing, to have it happen at the hand of one of my own employees is unforgivable!"

Dimitri felt a sudden surge of anger rise in him as he moved towards O'Malley. He knew that physically he was no match for O'Malley, that even with his own military experience O'Malley would have him on the ground in seconds. But surprisingly, O'M alley made no move to defend himself as Dimitri approached him and grabbed his shirt.

One look at him told him that Dimitri could have hit him now and that O'Malley wouldn't have stopped him.

Dimitri loosened his grip from O'Malley's shirt and took a deep breath, "You need to get one of your men out to the campground to get Rajiv. He was unconscious when I left. I think he was attacked by Trevor but I'm not entirely sure we can trust him."

The shock that Dimitri felt was reflected in O'Malley's eyes. "You can trust me, sir. I know you might not believe that right now, but please don't let your anger stop me from helping you do whatever it takes to get your son back. And I swear to you, I'll get him back, no matter what it takes."

Dimitri watched as O'Malley radioed every member of his team. He listened as he barked orders into his cell phone. "Mr. Marick, have you contacted your wife?" O'Malley asked him. "She could be in danger as well."

Dimitri shook his head; the thought of telling Alex about what had happened made him shiver. "She's in a fly-in reservation near the Marick Mine. It's probably the safest place she could be right now."

"Do you want me to contact the local police? They have far more resources than my men and I do."

"No. No police, not yet anyway. I know whom we're dealing with. Charlotte Devane is above the law. The last time I asked the local police about her whereabouts they purposely misled me into believing she was in prison."

O'Malley watched as Dimitri winced, "You need to see a doctor, you could have a concussion from the blow."

"No! No police, no doctors." He angrily slammed his hand on the table in front of him "The only thing you worry about is getting my son back. Is that understood?"

O'Malley nodded, "Yes, sir."

In the meantime, the other guards had arrived in the study, staring at the two of them, puzzled. O'Malley left the room with them as soon he saw them.

Once he was gone, Dimitri sat down and held his head in his hands. There was a picture of Max and Alex on the coffee table facing him. Dimitri had taken it himself one afternoon not so long ago, after they had come back from riding on the grounds. Max had decided to jump on Alex, his arms were wrapped around her, and both of them were laughing in the sunshine.

It was a simple picture but it was full of life and love. Dimitri picked it up and held it in his hands. Seeing it made him remember arguing with Alex a few days ago about hiring a photographer to take professional pictures.

"I have less than a dozen pictures of the both of you," he had argued. " I want to do this soon before our son turns into a sulky teenager."

As always, her reasoning had convinced him otherwise. "You know how fidgety he is. We'll never get him to sit still for a family portrait. Besides, you don't need pictures, you've got the real thing now." She had kissed him, to distract him from the subject at hand…and now, Max was gone.

_Gone_.

Tears stung his eyes and Dimitri felt strangely grateful for the throbbing pain in his head. He deserved to suffer. He hadn't been able to keep his son from harm. He deserved the pain.

He took a deep breath, picked up his cell phone and dialed a number he still knew by heart. A butler answered. "This is Dimitri Marick. I need to speak with Ms.Kane. Please tell her it's urgent."

"I'm sorry, she's not available at the moment. I can tell her to call you as soon as possible."

"No. Tell her to come to Wildwind as soon as she gets this message. I need to see her in person. Make sure you tell her it's extremely important."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter VII **

_Figlio perduto  
Se tu non vieni  
Io usero la forza che ho _

_Lost son  
If you don't come to me  
I'll use my power_

_Bison River First Nation, Northwest Territories, Canada_

_The next day_

The snow was no longer merely falling in Bison River. It now blanketed the entire village in large, windswept, relentless flakes.

"I've just got word from Yellowknife," Tina told Alex and David at the clinic. "We're in storm status. That means aircraft are grounded until further notice."

"Even the Medevac?" David asked.

"The helicopters can't fly if they can't see. It would be too risky."

"So no one can get in or out of Bison River?" David asked incredulously.

Tina looked at him, amused. "People here are used to isolation. You think we'll fall apart if the white man can't come and go for a couple of days?"

"A 'couple of days' really?" Alex asked.

"They're predicting the storm will last about 48 hours. If anything, the weather will shorten our line-ups. Only the very sick will bother to come and see us today. We still have some house calls to do though." Tina turned to Alex, "If you need some warmer clothes, let me know, I'll lend you some."

"It's my turn to go with you," David pointed out before Alex had a chance to answer.

Tina snickered. "You're kidding right? Have you looked in the mirror lately? Do you want to scare the elders of Bison River into an early grave?"

David frowned. The weather outside was a mess. Sending Alex out in his place made him feel uncomfortable. "I don't really care what people think about my beat up face. It doesn't affect my capacity as a physician."

"But I care. You're staying here. That's final." Tina's tone was icy, letting him know that the last thing she wanted was to spend an afternoon with him.

David shook his head and rolled his eyes, "Does bossing me around give you some sort of satisfaction?"

Tina glared at him, "Oh don't even start with me, you…"

Alex waved her arms in the air. "Oh, stop it! Both of you. What does it matter who does what? Get the medical bag ready," she told Tina. "I want to look at David's stitches before we head out."

"Why don't you just tell her you're not up to it?" Hayward asked her after Tina left the room.

"What?"

"You're look exhausted and your husband is going to kill me if anything happens to you. Tell Tina that I'm going to go with her. She'll listen to you."

Alex examined the stitches above his left eye pleased to see that they looked better than last night. "The only reason I'm tired is because you keep me up most of the night to play doctor."

David chuckled. "You make it sound so appealing." He looked at the stitches in the mirror, "Nice job, Dr. Marick. Looks like I owe you one."

She sat down next to him and sighed. "One? If you're going to start counting, I'd say for sure we're talking two digit numbers by now."

"Don't push it."

"Besides the stitches healing, tell me how you're feeling."

"Sore," he admitted, massaging his chin with his hand. "But I'll live. You want to tell me why you've been edgy all morning?"

"It's…I don't know. I've got this feeling…" she looked at Hayward, as if debating whether to tell him what she wanted to say. She brushed a strand of hair from her face, deciding against it. "It's nothing."

David put a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I'm not exactly Dimitri, but we're stuck here. Literally. If something's wrong, tell me what it is. Believe it or not, I have some capacity for understanding, even where you're concerned, Dr. Marick."

"Would you stop calling me that?"

She sounded more defeated than annoyed now, making him feel guilty. "Tell me what's bugging you, Alex."

"It's…probably nothing. I've been trying to call Dimitri and every time I do I get his answering machine. There are so few people that have his number he makes it a point to answer it. Plus it's not like him to not call me. He knows I'd worry. It's odd, David. I've got this nagging feeling that something's wrong."

"Maybe the lines aren't getting through. It's probably because of the storm," he reassured her.

"I guess it's possible…"

It wasn't often that he saw her second-guessing herself and it was odd to see her stripped of the confidence he knew so well. It was like catching a glimpse of the real Alex Marick. And he wasn't entirely sure what to do with it.

"Maybe you just miss Max. You're never away from him for long, right?"

He watched her stare into space.

"I do miss him," she admitted.

"I've never seen him. Do you have a photo?"

She smiled a lopsided smile, "Of course." She pulled a photo out of her wallet. It was obviously taken at Wildwind, on a sunny day. Max was laughing in the sunshine, his arms wrapped around her.

David looked at it, longer than he intended to. "He's going to be a charmer."

Alex smirked. "He takes after his Dad."

"I don't know…" he started, oddly envious of the family she had. "His mom can be charming too. If she wants to be."

She held her heart in shock, "Is that…a compliment?"

"No, an observation. Sometimes I wish I had a child. I do envy you Max," he said, surprised he admitted as much, to Alex of all people.

Alex too looked like she wasn't sure what to say. "I'm sure lots of women would love to call themselves Mrs. Hayward."

"True," he nodded. There was no point in false modesty. "But there aren't a lot of women I'm willing to grace with that title."

"For what it's worth, David; thanks."

He looked at her, puzzled, "For what?"

"For listening."

"Looks like I owe you one less favour."

She smirked, "I knew there had to be an ulterior motive."

"You know me so well."

Tina stepped back into the room, fully dressed, "Are you coming, Alex? Surely you can't be that concerned over David's bruises."

David ignored her, tossing Alex his hat and scarf. "Take these. They're warmer than mine. And try calling Dimitri again when you get back." He flashed Tina a phony smile, "And when you lovely ladies come back I'll have lunch on the table."

Tina's smile was equally fake, "That's a good cardiologist."

_Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley, PA_

_Same day_

Erica Kane rushed up to the doors of Wildwind, taking a glance into the window next to the main door and straightening her hair in its reflection, before she knocked on the door.

She hadn't been here since Alex's return to Pine Valley and truthfully she missed Wildwind. Wildwind had nearly been _her_ home until it was discovered that rumours of Alex's death had been greatly exaggerated. Erica had hoped that even after Alex's return to the land of the living Dimitri might have invited her to the occasional meal at Wildwind. But that hadn't been the case. "Alex probably insisted I stay away," she thought aloud. "Although you'd think she'd show a little gratitude for giving her back the man, who had been ready to marry me and forget about her. Believe me, Alex, if there wasn't a child involved, I would have fought you for him and you would _not_ have won."

Erica wondered whether Dimitri had ever ordered DNA tests on little Maximilian. She remembered how offended he had been when she first suggested it, telling her that one look at the boy was proof enough of his parentage. Erica hadn't agreed with him then and she still didn't agree with him now. Maybe it was because she saw only Alex when she looked at Max.

'Either way, maybe now is a good time to bring up the idea of DNA testing again…' she thought, when Stella finally opened the door.

"Miss Kane, please come in. Mr.Marick is waiting for you in the study."

Erica gave her a polite smile, "Thank you."

She wondered why Dimitri had summoned her here with such urgency, after all these months. 'It had better not have anything to do with Bianca. If she came back from that camping trip with broken limbs, I swear Dimitri; I'll hold you personally responsible. That little boy probably pushed her down a ravine or something. Like mother, like son.'

Erica saw Dimitri step out of the study.

His expression was strangely somber, "Hello, Erica. Thank you for coming so quickly."

She moved up to kiss him on the cheeks, standing on tiptoe as she did, "I've missed your company Dimitri, but you had me worried when you summoned me over here like this. Is everything okay? Is Bianca alright?"

"Please, have a seat."

Suddenly, Erica noticed the bandage on his head. "Dimitri, what happened to you?" His silence panicked her now. "Did you have an accident at the campground? Is Bianca in a hospital? _Tell me_!"

"Erica, please calm down." He made her sit down. "Something _has_ happened. It's why I needed to see you in person."

He told her what had happened and Erica absorbed his words in disbelief. They made her knees weak and shaky.

Tears fell down her cheeks without her knowledge as he spoke. "You're telling me Charlotte Devane _took_ our children?"

Dimitri was calm as he put his arms around her, "I have no doubts she's behind this. It's her revenge for shooting her and getting away with it seven months ago."

"But how can you be so sure? We're both wealthy, Dimitri, our children could have been taken by anyone wanting a ransom! And if you are certain it's Charlotte then what are the police doing to find her and get them back?" she demanded. "Oh my darling daughter, my sweet baby…"

"I haven't called the police yet," Dimitri told her.

Erica's eyes widened in shock, "You _what_?"

"Charlotte works above the law. If anything, the police will be purposely misled if we involve them."

"What do you mean '_if_ we involve them'. What are you trying to do? _Protect your wife_?" She stared at him angrily. "You're wasting precious time waiting to contact the police!"

Erica moved to his phone to dial 911.

"Erica, please don't…if Charlotte is behind this, the police will be useless. They might even do more damage than good."

"This isn't your call to make!" Erica seethed. "Both of our children's lives are at stake here!"

Dimitri didn't stop her. If she wanted to contact the authorities, he knew it was her right to do so. After all, Bianca was her daughter. Even so, he tried to dissuade her, ''Contacting the police will only mean media involvement. Can you imagine what will happen once the press gets wind of this?''

Erica turned around so as to avoid his eyes. ''I don't care about your precious privacy right now, Dimitri.''

Her voice was shaky when she picked up the receiver. ''This is Erica Kane. I'm reporting a kidnapping...my daughter Bianca, and the son of Dimitri Marick. Yes, send officers right away to the Wildwind Estate!'' She hurriedly gave the operator the address before hanging up the phone.

She saw Dimitri rubbing his temples tiredly, ''I wish you hadn't done that.''

"And I wish I hadn't let Bianca go camping with you!" she shot back angrily. "Where is Alex anyway? Why is she not here?"

"She's in northern Canada. Near the Marick mine. She doesn't know yet," he explained. Erica couldn't remember the last time he'd sounded as defeated as he did right now.

"Why aren't you calling her? What are you waiting for?" she asked incredulously.

"Erica, I don't know how to tell her…over the phone…" he answered, barely loud enough for her to hear.

The only thing Erica could think of was her daughter. As soon as she thought of her gentle Bianca held hostage by some madwoman, the anger rose at the base of her throat again. How much more would she and Dimitri have to suffer because of Alex's association with Charlotte Devane?

"You have to call her! This is _her_ fault!"

"What?" Dimitri looked at her in disbelief.

"Her psychotic mother and _her_ shady past that have caught up with our children! My daughter has nothing to do with Alex's past and yet she's paying the price. When are you going to realize the real cost of having that woman in your life?" Tears ran down her face. Not just for Bianca but for her own loss. "When are you going to realize it's not worth it?"

Dimitri's face was unreadable. "I know you're upset Erica…but blaming Alex for this…it's absurd."

"Even if you think Alex is not to blame, she probably knows where to find Charlotte. You have to call her for that reason alone."

"No," Dimitri shook his head. "Alex has no idea where Charlotte is. In fact, before this happened we were both convinced that she was dead."

Shawn O'Malley entered the study without a sound. "Sir, if you have a moment. I'd like to brief you on the meeting I had with my men."

Dimitri placed his hands on Erica's shoulders, "Are you going to be okay?"

She wiped a tear from her eye, "I'll be okay when we find my daughter."

"We'll find them. I promise." Dimitri stepped out of the study and into the next room with O'Malley.

When he left, Erica noticed Dimitri's cell phone lying on the coffee table. She picked it up and saw the pre-programmed numbers on the screen menu.

With an unsteady hand, she entered the one that corresponded to Alex's name and held the phone next to her ear as it rang on the other end.

"If you're not going to call her, _I_ will," she whispered to herself, waiting for Alex to answer.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter VIII **

_Padre oh padre  
Re degli elfi  
Mi sta toccando  
Male mi fa _

_Father oh father  
It's the King of the elves  
He is touching me  
He is hurting me_

_Near Cardiff, Wales_

After Bianca Montgomery woke up she tried to remember the events that had brought her to this small, windowless room. She remembered a sharp needle-like pain in her upper arm and then she remembered Trevor's face. He had observed her in silence, as if waiting for her to lose consciousness.

Now, she was here, locked up like a prisoner.

'But where's 'here?' she wondered. She still felt groggy from the after effects of whatever drug Trevor had injected into her and as she got up, Bianca heard her stomach growl. She managed a weak, embarrassed smile. It felt wrong to want a sandwich when she wasn't entirely sure whether she'd live to see tomorrow.

She tried to make sense of what had transpired at the campground. 'Someone kidnapped me,' she deducted and suddenly thought of Max. 'No…no just me. Me and Max?' It would make sense. Both of them came from wealthy families. They'd probably be able to demand a substantial ransom.

"Where is Max?" Bianca asked herself, realizing now that she couldn't remember last seeing him. He had to be here. It wouldn't make sense for him not to be. Her mother wasn't nearly as wealthy as Dimitri Marick. If they were going to hold anyone for ransom it would be Max not her. 'Just because Max isn't in this room with me, doesn't mean he wasn't taken, ' she decided.

'Poor Max, if you _are_ in a room like this, you'll be so frightened all by yourself. I wish there was something I could do.' Bianca looked around the room for any objects that might let her know where she was but everything was non-descript, from the white bed sheets to the bedside lamp with the 'Made in China' label on its stand.

While she was examining her surroundings, Bianca heard the sound of a key turning in the lock of her door. A man holding a tray of food in his hands entered the room.

"Hello Miss Montgomery, I hope you're comfortable. I advise you not to come near me. If you do I will drop the tray and use martial arts to immobilize you. Is that clear?"

Bianca nodded. People only said stuff like that in the movies. But judging from the look on his face he meant it.

He placed the tray of food on her bed and left the room as quickly as he had entered it, locking the door behind him.

Bianca examined the food in front of her, wondering whether to eat it or not. 'It could be drugged,' she thought. But she was starving and she decided if whoever had brought her here had wanted her dead they would have killed her already. She dipped her fork into what looked like a meat pie of sorts and made a face. She hadn't touched meat in months, but she was starving, so she moved the fork to her mouth and started to eat it hungrily.

After the first bite, Bianca waited a moment for something to happen. 'Maybe it's a slow acting poison,' she thought morbidly. As she continued eating, she realized something else.

The man who had brought her food had a very distinct English accent.

Fear made her heart beat faster and Bianca considered a scary thought, was it possible that she was no longer in the US?

_Bison River First Nations, Northwest Territories, Canada_

It was Tina who first noticed that something was amiss when they returned to the Medical Clinic.

The door had been left slightly open and Hayward was nowhere to be seen. Tina took one look towards the medicine cabinet and cursed out loud when she saw the cabinet door was open.

"What is it?" Alex asked her, noticing how cold it was inside the clinic.

"Look," Tina pointed to the cabinet that this morning had been fully stocked and now was more than half empty. "Someone broke in."

"They must have been in a hurry," Alex noticed. "They didn't take everything."

"They took enough to do some serious damage to themselves. It's probably the same group of teens that broke in last month," Tina said angrily. "Where the hell was David when this happened? He was supposed to stay here and guard the place!"

Before Alex had a chance to answer, David stepped through the clinic doors carrying two large paper bags. "Hello ladies," he said, "Looks like my lunch delivery is just in time."

"Where the hell have you been?" Tina demanded.

David's smile faded, "I went to get lunch, after taking care of the morning line-up. I didn't know I had to ask you for permission!"

"They must have kept an eye on the clinic, waiting for you to leave," Tina mumbled, half to herself, half to the two of them.

"What are you talking about?"

"Someone broke into the medicine cabinet while you were out," Alex explained.

David noticed the open cabinet now, "How the hell…I couldn't have been gone more than half an hour. I just walked to the restaurant and came right back!"

"Obviously, that's all they needed," Tina pointed out.

"I see…this is my fault?" David demanded.

"It wouldn't have happened if the clinic hadn't been left unattended."

Alex wanted to groan observing the two of them. "Is it really going to help if you argue about whose fault this is?"

Tina angrily put her jacket back on, "Don't worry. I'm leaving."

"Where are you going?" Alex wanted to know.

"Down to the RCMP detachment, to file a report." She gave David a goodbye glare and then slammed the door shut on her way out.

David threw his arms into the air. "Forgive me for not realizing that I had to be a security guard too. Mind you if I had been here and prevented the whole damn thing she'd have found something else to slam me for."

"Oh cut her some slack, will you?" Alex said, annoyed too now. "She's upset that she lost two months worth of medical supplies in one morning. We get to leave here in a few days, but she has to deal with these things every single day. Did you know she's only twenty-five? She graduated from nursing school last year."

"Frustrated or not is pretty irrelevant at this point. Tina hates me for no apparent reason and I'm getting fed up of it. Aren't we here on a goodwill mission?"

"What makes you think she dislikes you for no reason? Maybe she has lots of reasons…"

Alex walked over to the cabinet to see what exactly had been taken, when she noticed something that made her curse.

"What is it?" David asked.

"My iron pills are gone too," she told him.

David's frowned. "Are you okay without them?"

"Sure." Alex shrugged, wishing she hadn't mentioned it. "I might have less energy, that's all." She hated the limitations her anemia imposed on her lifestyle. Physical weakness wasn't something she was used to and she didn't accept it easily, or gracefully.

She caught David trying to read her eyes and turned away from his gaze to stop him.

"You sure?"

His occasional concern for her still threw her for a loop and she half expected a sarcastic quip along the lines of how her energy level had never matched his to start. "Relax, I'm not going to die on you."

"Don't worry, I won't let you."

He moved to help her count the remaining bottles when Josie entered the room.

"Hi sweetie," Alex smiled at her.

The girl returned her smile, "Hi, Doctor Alex." But it was David who made her eyes light up, "Look I got another magazine," she showed him, holding up a glossy publication with four guys on the cover, that looked like a cross between rock stars and models. 

David raised his eyebrows at Alex, "Lucky me."

"Wanna come look at it with me?" Josie asked him.

He kneeled down next to the girl and wiped her runny nose, "Yeah, why not. But only if you come and eat some lunch with Alex and me first and then show me if you have any homework to do. Go and unpack the paper bags that are on the table, okay?"

She nodded and ran off.

"Did I tell you I have a favourite Backstreet Boy now?" David grumbled.

Alex laughed, "Really, which one? I kind of like Kevin myself."

"AJ. He's got attitude."

"Of course. You can relate."

Josie set the table for three in the room next to them. "Let's go and eat," David told Alex when he saw that she finished, "We've got all day to do this."

Alex was about to agree when she heard her cell phone ring. Her heart skipped a beat, "Oh, this has to be Dimitri."

David left the room to give her privacy, although there was no door to close.

Alex's face lit up when she saw the number on the display screen, "Darling, where you have been?"

The connection wasn't particularly clear, but clear enough to make her realize it wasn't Dimitri's voice at the other end.

"_Alex is that you?" _

"Erica? What's going on? Is Dimitri alright?" There was something odd about Erica's voice.

"_You have to come home right away!" _

Alex realized why her voice sounded odd; Erica was hysterical. "I don't understand…what are you talking about?"

"_It's Bianca, and Max! Your insane mother kidnapped them both! They're gone!" _

Alex clutched the phone in her hand. Erica was lying. This had to be some sort of cruel joke. Dimitri would tell her the truth. Where _was_ Dimitri?

"_Are you listening to me? You have to help Dimitri find that woman before it's too late!" _

"Let me speak to Dimitri…" The words choked in her throat.

"Dimitri's hurt. He thinks he can get your son back before telling you, but I'm not that naïve. You…_you _must have a way of finding Charlotte."

_Your insane mother kidnapped them both. _

_Dimitri's hurt._

The words were starting to sink in and it was all starting to make sense. That terrible feeling of dread she had all morning. The fact that she hadn't been able to reach Dimitri even though the phone was in perfect working order.

Her worst nightmare was coming true.

Charlotte Devane was alive and she had taken Max.

The phone had slipped out of her hand and she felt like someone had punched her in the gut.

"Oh god, no…no, please no. Not Max."

David must have seen her holding on to the exam table, through the open doorway. "Alex…what's wrong?"

He picked up the phone and tried to talk to Erica, but judging from the lack of a response she was no longer there.

He made her sit down. "Alex…take a deep breath, for me. Tell me what that was about. Who called?"

"It was… Erica. She said…" Breathing was as hard as speaking now. "She said Max and Bianca were kidnapped."

"Kidnapped? How…?"

Alex didn't know what to tell him, "I don't know…I just know I have to get out of here."

"Alex, you can't go anywhere. Look at the snow outside! Planes are still grounded."

She pushed his arms off her, "Let me go! There has to be a way out of here. I'm going to see the Chief."

She was out of his grasp and out the door before he had a chance to hold her back.

Josie watched as he grabbed his coat, and ran after her.

_Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley, PA_

When Dimitri returned to the study he saw Erica holding his cell phone.

Her face was a mask of tears.

"I'm sorry, Dimitri," was all she said.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter IX **

_E il bambino  
Con occhi chiusi  
Lui non si muove  
Perso e gia _

_And the boy  
Eyes closed  
He doesn't move  
He's already lost _

_Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley, PA_

Dimitri wasn't sure what to make of Erica holding his cell phone as he returned to the study. Her face was streaked with tears and when she saw him she let go of the phone, as though it was contaminated and she wanted nothing more to do with it.

"I'm sorry Dimitri."

He gently led her to the sofa, "What are you sorry about?" he asked.

"I had to do, I had to do it for Bianca…" Her words were mingled with sobs.

"Erica, what is it? What did you do?"

She wiped the tears from her face, "I told Alex. I called her."

The words hit him and he suddenly felt his chest tighten. "Tell me you didn't Erica." 

Erica couldn't look at him. "Don't you see…it's better that she knows. That way she can come here right away and help us find Charlotte…"

"You told Alex that our son is gone? _You_ of all people. You've despised Alex ever since she set foot in Pine Valley and now _you_ take it upon yourself to tell _my wife_ that our son is missing?" There was a time that he thought he knew Erica so well. And the Erica he knew wouldn't have done what she just did.

"Please don't be angry with me. I had to do something."

"You didn't have to do _this_."

"Please tell me you forgive me Dimitri, please. I can't take your anger, not now."

Dimitri could barely bring himself to look at her. Because had once loved her, he could forgive her so many things. But now all he felt was anger.

"I want you to leave," he said icily.

"Dimitri…the police are coming soon. I can't leave Wildwind…"

"Just leave this room… so I don't have to look at you."

"You don't mean that Dimitri."

"Right now I do. Leave. I won't ask you again."

He caught a hint of fear in her eyes. .

Erica turned on her heels, and walked out of the room. He could hear her sobbing as she went down the hallway.

In truth, as angry as he was, he knew he was as much to blame for what had just happened. Erica was distraught and clutching at every straw she could find. He couldn't blame her for that. _He_ was the one who should have called Alex hours ago.

And he was the one who couldn't bring himself to do it.

Alex had spent the last seven years protecting him and Max. In the end, she'd nearly died trying to keep them safe.

'And now I'm supposed to call and tell you I couldn't even keep him safe in a damn camping trip?'

The guilt weighed on him so heavily; he thought it might crush him.

Except his guilt didn't matter anymore. What mattered now was that Alex heard _his_ voice. His reassurance.

When he saw that Erica was gone, Dimitri dialed her number.

"Damn it," he cursed when he heard the sound of her answering service. Meanwhile, the 200-year-old grandfather clock that stood across the room started chiming, loudly and irreverently, letting him know it was unaffected by the events that had transpired at Wildwind today.

Time always went on. Mercilessly.

Dimitri took off his watch and looked at the inscription on the back, _'A love for all time_. A'

He held the watch against his face and wept.

_Bison River First Nation, Northwest Territories, Canada_

There were two things that David Hayward quickly learned when he took off after Alex from the Medical Clinic. The first was that she was far faster than he would have ever imagined and the second was that he was not nearly as fit as he thought he was.

He had barely run a couple of minutes when his side started to ache. Granted, his face was still sore from the bar fight and the freezing, blowing snow had reduced his visibility to near zero, neither of which helped matters.

"_Alex!"_ he yelled out to her, vaguely catching her outline the distance, ahead of him. "Stop!"

A sudden gust of ice-cold air almost knocked the wind out of him, forcing him to slow down. It was a bone chilling cold and David couldn't believe that Alex had run out of the clinic without so much as putting on a jacket. Her anemia might not kill her but she _was_ well on her way to freezing to death.

David saw that the same gust of wind that had forced him to slow down, had made Alex lose her balance and she tripped and fell in the snow, allowing him to finally catch up to her.

"Jesus Christ, Alex, get up, out of the snow," he whispered under his breath. She wasn't making any move to get back up.

When he reached her side, he kneeled down next to her and yanked her up. Her face was red and her hair wet from the snow.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" He took off his jacket and put it on her, while the wet snow was starting to seep through his jeans. He pulled her out of the snow. Both of them were shivering now and Alex had a hard time catching her breath. "You're freezing, you have to get inside," he told her.

She held on to him. "I have to see the Chief…maybe…maybe he can get a plane to get me out of here."

"Have you looked around you? We're in a damn snow storm! No one's leaving here anytime soon." Even though it was only late afternoon, it was already as dark as it would have been near midnight in Pine Valley. "The only place you're going is back to the clinic with me."

"No, I'm not! David, let go of me…" she struggled to break free from his grasp but he was stronger.

"Alex…for god's sake, don't do this to yourself."

Even in the darkness, David could see her tears.

"They took my son! I have to get out of here! Don't you understand?" Without his coat, David was freezing now and starting to lose sensation in his extremities. It took every ounce of strength he had, to stop Alex from trying to break free of his grasp.

If force wasn't working, he'd try reasoning instead. "You're not thinking clearly. The Chief's house is too far away. We'll go back to the clinic and we'll call him from there. Maybe they've got an aircraft at the mine they can send us. But first we have to get back inside."

She looked at him wild-eyed, as if he was suggesting they sprout wings and fly, "I _have_ to get to him, David."

"I know. Look, we'll find him, I promise…" David's teeth chattered in the wind. "But first come back with me." He took her arm in his and, finally, thankfully, she gave up struggling and let him lead her back to the clinic.

Just as they were about to walk through the doors of the clinic David felt her arm slip through his. She had tripped on the step up to the clinic.

"I'm okay," he heard her whisper, as he hoisted her back up.

"No, you're not okay."

Once inside, Josie watched him as he gently helped her take off the cold, wet clothes she wore, and made her lie down.

"Boil some hot water on the stove for me, please, Josie?"

Josie did as he asked and kept watching as he prepared her the tea without removing his own wet clothes. Without telling Alex, he poured something from one of the containers in the medicine cabinet into the tea, and made her drink it. Josie watched him with a smile.

After Alex fell into a restless sleep, David went to change his clothes and added more wood to the furnace. "It's freezing in here," he told Josie.

"No it's not. You're just cold because you went outside without a hat and scarf," she told him matter of factly. "What's wrong with Alex?"

"She got some bad news and wasn't thinking too clearly," he told her, not sure how to explain a kidnapping.

'I can't do this,' David thought. He was a mess. 'I'm a surgeon not a nurse. I know how to put together the human body, but I have no clue of how to take care of a friend. Never mind that, I'm not even a run-of-the-mill nice guy. How the hell can I comfort someone who might have lost her son and then explain it to a cheeky ten-year old girl?'

"Is she your girlfriend?" Josie asked, out of the blue.

"What?" He turned his head and raised his eyebrows, "_Alex?"_

"Yeah, Alex. Is she your girlfriend?"

David nearly choked. "No. No, she's not."

Josie pursed her lips, as if in deep thought, "Why not? She's nice and she doesn't smoke."

"I hope you're going to use more discerning criteria when you pick your first boyfriend."

"What's 'discerning'?"

David noticed that one of the clips of her overalls had come lose, and he pulled her towards him to fix it. "You're always such a mess," he told her. He also adjusted the hairclip that held her thick braids in place. Little gestures that calmed him. "Pretty, but messy. Discerning means picky, I hope you're going to be more picky than that when you choose your first boyfriend."

"Here, that's picky. So, you don't think she's pretty enough?"

"What?"

"Alex. Don't you think she's pretty?"

"Sure, she is. She's very pretty." He glanced at Alex, who, thanks to the sedative he'd given was asleep on the cot. Her long, dark hair was still wet. He wondered if he should have wrapped it in a towel. God, he was lousy at this.

"So what's your problem?" Josie pressed on.

"Huh?" David looked at her. She was relentless. "Didn't anyone ever tell you it's not polite to mind other people's business."

She shook her head, making her braids fly back and forth, "No."

"First of all, Alex can't stand my guts. Second of all, she's already married to someone else. She has a little boy, almost your age."

"Alex doesn't hate you, she fixed your face the other night. I watched her!"

Josie had a way of making him laugh, in spite of himself, "She had to. She's a doctor. We take an oath not to let someone bleed to death if we can help it."

Josie didn't seem to appreciate his humour. "I know what people do when they hate each other," her black eyes suddenly saddened and turned even darker. "She doesn't hate you."

David remembered George Jikha's drunken slurs at the bar the other night and he suddenly wondered just how many things she had seen that no ten-year should see.

He wanted to kick himself. If a ten-year could see that his animosity with Alex was unnecessary then maybe it really was time for it to end. "No you're right, Josie. She doesn't hate me." He took hold of her hand, "Come one, let's go outside so she can sleep in peace."

David heard Alex's cell phone ring and he jumped to answer it before it could ring a second time and wake Alex. "I thought I turned this thing off," he cursed.

"It rang before," Josie told him, "But I didn't answer it."

David heard Dimitri's voice on the other end.

"Is it true, about Max?" was the first thing he asked. Then he was silent as Dimitri told him what had happened "I'm sorry… No, you can't talk to her right now," he told him. Dimitri was adamant and his insistence annoyed Hayward. "No, 'Not now'. Call back tomorrow morning. Look, I'm really sorry about your son but I don't take orders from you, Dimitri. What do you think? Of course, she took the news badly. Why the hell weren't you the one who called? No, that's not possible…neither of us can go anywhere right now, we're in the middle of a snowstorm here and all aircraft are grounded. I'll tell her to call you tomorrow…that's gonna have to be good enough for now." He disconnected with Dimitri Marick in spite of his pleas to speak to his wife.

David flashed Josie a wide smile, "The beauty of telephones."

_Near Cardiff, Wales_

Charlotte Devane watched the video camera monitoring Max Marick's room and frowned as she turned to Nigel.

"Why am I surprised that he's being difficult? After all this is Alexandra's son."

"He's refused to eat anything we've given him. He must be starving by now. Maybe we should have Lewellyn have a look at him," Nigel suggested.

"If he's hungry, he'll eat."

"But he could become dehydrated…I thought you wanted him unharmed?" Nigel had no genuine concern for the boy, but he was puzzled by Charlotte's careless means of treating her prize possession.

"Have you ever been around a child Nigel?" Charlotte asked him, annoyed by his suggestions.

Nigel Hawthrop had no siblings, no younger relatives he cared to acquaint himself with, and he did not have any desire to ever father any children. "Well, I guess you could say no. No, I haven't."

"I have Nigel. I raised a little girl and I can assure you that when that boy is hungry he will eat. Besides, he won't be our concern much longer."

"What do you mean?" he asked. Again, Charlotte puzzled him. It led him to wonder if her age, coupled with the constant pain of her injuries was affecting her judgment.

She looked at him, obviously frustrated. "Alexandra is lot of things, but she's not stupid. She will find me here, eventually, maybe in a week or two at the most. Anyone with any intelligence connections can more or less track us down Nigel. Have you forgotten that we are a government sanctioned outfit, operating with the blessing of the Prime Minister and Her Majesty?"

"Of course not, but if you really wanted to hide the child, even on the premises, she would never find him."

"You obviously underestimate the power of a mother's love, Nigel. Besides, I'm looking forward to facing my daughter again and by the time I do, I want Max far away from Brynn Wydd."

"But where are you going to send him?" Nigel asked her, his brows furrowed, trying to think of the answer himself.

"I have an old friend, Nigel. He runs an operation similar to mine, a group of rogue agents that infiltrate other intelligence groups for the sake of corporate or political espionage. His organization is called the DVX."

"I think I know who you mean, he's Belgian or Danish, something like that."

"He is indeed. And the beauty of it all is that, unbeknownst to him, we already share a special connection. He was once obsessed with, and ultimately responsible for the death of Anna Scorpio, Alexandra's twin. I think he'll be most intrigued at the thought of hiding Anna's little nephew for me."

"Cesar Faison," Nigel spoke the name aloud as he suddenly remembered it.

"That's right." Charlotte finally smiled, pleased with his knowledge. "Cesar Faison is going to take little Max where his mother will never, ever find him again."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter X **

_Con un cavallo  
Vanno avanti  
In questa grande  
Oscurita _

_With a horse  
They progress  
Through this immense  
Darkness _

_Bison River First Nation, Northwest Territories, Canada _

"_Help me please." _

_The cry echoed through the moonlit forest like that of a wounded animal. _

"_Please. Please hurry." _

_She ran through the forest, tripping over the tree roots in the darkness. _

"_Max, where are you? I can't find you. Tell me where you are." _

_She kept running, breathlessly, in the darkness, following the sound of the cries. _

"_Please Mum, hurry. They're hurting me. Please Mum, I'm so scared!" _

"_Where are you? Max, baby, give me some sort of clue. Please…help me find you." _

"_Mum, why aren't you coming?" _

_The darkness engulfed her, thick, heavy and suffocating. "I can barely hear you anymore. Oh god…you have to help me find you." _

_The voice faded and turned into a desperate wailing cry. _

"_No, not anymore. You're too late, Mum. It's too late now."_

"Max!" Alex woke up screaming, covered in perspiration, her heart pounding.

It was that scream that had brought David Hayward here and he now sat down, on the bed, next to her. "It's okay, Alex. You were dreaming. It's not real."

She covered her face with her hands and started to cry. "It seemed so real."

David held her. "It's not. Just a dream. Nothing more." Still, he let her cry, hoping maybe it would bring her some comfort.

"What time is it, David?" she finally managed, ''Did I wake you?''

"It's evening, around. Nine o' clock. You fell asleep after we came back from outside…"

"You drugged the tea, didn't you?" It was a rhetorical question. "I wouldn't have fallen asleep otherwise."

David blushed. "You needed the rest."

"Don't ever do that again."

Her irritation made him defensive, "Look, you freaked me out when you fell down in the snow and didn't get back up!"

"I what?"

"You don't even remember, do you? You blacked out and you don't remember." He rolled his eyes. "Jesus, Alex…you realize if anything were to happen to you now, Dimitri would…"

"Stop it. I'm fine," she cut him off. "Maybe I don't remember that because the only thing I can remember is that damn phone call from Erica."

He saw that she was on the verge of tears again, but instead of crying she threw off her blanket, about to get up.

"What are you doing?"

"I can't stay in bed."

"You _should!_"

"Stop patronizing me, Hayward," she told him softly. "I can't just stay in bed here while my son has been kidnapped."

"There's absolutely nothing you can do until this storm passes."

"I can see the Chief, and I want to call my husband."

The thought of her heading back outside in the snow made him cringe. "How about I go see the Chief while you call Dimitri?"

She eyed him, as if contemplating the offer. "I suppose…"

He smirked, "Just say it. It's the best idea you've heard all day."

He saw that she really didn't have the energy to fight him, and for that he was grateful.

"Fine," she conceded.

"I want to help you," he added. "But you've got stop fighting me."

She nodded, her eyes welling up with tears again. "I know. I'm sorry."

"And stop apologizing."

David left her in the patient room and went back outside to see Josie sitting at the table by the stove. Seeing her made him think of something.

"Josie…you told me that you've got a cousin. You know, the one who does stupid things, like sniff gas and stuff. Do you know where he hangs out with his friends?"

Josie looked at him with serious eyes, as if wondering why he wanted to know. "Yeah, I know."

"Tell me."

"There's an open area in the woods, behind the airfield. A lot of teens go there at night. They make a fire and drink beer and stuff."

"Thanks Josie. Will you do me another favour?"

She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, "Sure."

"I want you to go stay with Alex for a bit, make sure she stays put. If she doesn't, you call me on my cell phone at this number," he took out a piece of paper and wrote it down for her.

"Thanks, kid." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and went to get his winter coat.

Long after he left, Josie's hand still rested on the spot where his lips had met her face.

She smiled a delicious, permanent smile.

It was the first time anyone had kissed her.

_Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley, PA_

"The police are here, Dimitri," Erica informed him as she entered the study where he was still seated.

"You called them, _you_ talk to them," he shot back tersely, without looking at her. He stood up and saw O'Malley greet three officers at his doorway. One of them was Lieutenant Derek Frye, and another wore a drab, blue suit and tie. 'Probably FBI,' Dimitri thought.

"How can _I_ talk to them, when I wasn't there when it happened?" Erica told him, her earlier guilt turning back to anger. "Don't you use your anger for me as an excuse to not do everything in your power to save our children!"

"I told you the police is going to be useless in helping us with this. You didn't listen to me. Well, now you can go find out for…" He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence when Derek entered the room.

'Not him again,' Dimitri thought. 'If I have to deal with him now, he'll regret it.'

"Mr.Marick, I'm so sorry about what happened," Frye began.

He had heard those words from him before. Dimitri nodded, "Thank you, Lieutenant, but I don't need your sympathy. I need you to use your resources wisely to help find my son."

"There are a lot of questions I have for you, Mr.Marick…"

Stella came into the room, interrupting the lieutenant. "Sir, I have a woman on the line for you. She says her name is Heidi and that it's very important that she speak with you."

"Lieutenant, your questions are going to have to wait," Dimitri told him as he followed Stella out of the room with a sense of relief. Heidi had been Alex's only friend for years. Even if she lived an ocean away in Wales, she might be more help to him in finding Charlotte than Frye and his entourage were.

"Dimitri!" Erica called after him, "I can't believe you! What could be more important than this?"

"Dimitri! Come back!" Her efforts were futile, as he kept walking down the corridor, ignoring her.

Lieutenant Frye took out his note pad, "Ms.Kane, can you help me with a recent picture of your daughter, and also by describing what Bianca wore when the kidnapping took place…"

"How should I know? I told you, I wasn't there when it happened… Go after Dimitri. Tell him that damn phone call can wait!"

Derek Frye looked at her incredulously, wondering if she seriously thought he was going to run after her ex-husband. Apparently, she did.

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

"Ms. Kane, that's not my job."

"Well then _make_ it your job!"

Frye rolled his eyes as he sat down on the green sofa. 'This is going to be a long evening,' he mumbled.

_Bison River First Nation, Northwest Territories, Canada_

David struggled to make his way through snow that was now knee high, as several snowmobiles whizzed past him. 'I could use one of those…' he thought to himself, annoyed that no one was offering him a ride. He turned on his flashlight as he left the lit area of the silent airfield and made his way into a patch of forest behind it. He heard laughter in the distance and as he glanced to his left, he could make out the flames of a campfire.

He walked towards both the sound and the light and soon found himself amidst a group of twelve or so teenagers huddled together, around the fire. Some of them held plastic bags up to their mouths and inhaled, oblivious to the world around them. Others held beer bottles, while they puffed on cigarettes.

'Teenagers,' Hayward thought, 'Always looking for something that's better than the world around them. In Pine Valley, it comes in the form of little coloured pills called ecstasy, in smoky, neon lit nightclubs, and here it's beer, gasoline, and cigarettes around an open fire in the freezing cold. It's all the same.'

"Hey Yankee Doctor, you came looking for a good time?" one of the teenage girls asked him, her smile flirtatious and inviting.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I came looking for something else."

"Oh yeah, like what?" another girl held up a small bottle of pills, "This?"

"Well, yes. Not those ones, but something like that." He saw several empty medicine containers lying in the snow, and he recognized them as ones that were missing from the break-in at the clinic. "Do you even have any idea what you're putting into your system?" he asked the girl, shaking his head sadly as he picked up various bottles from the snow, to see what they contained.

"Hey," a tall, brown haired boy pushed him away from the medication, "This is ours now, get your hands off it!"

The last thing he wanted was another brawl. "I don't care about those, half of this stuff is useless to me now anyway, after lying here open, in the freezing cold. I only need one container, one that has my colleague's name on it." He kept rummaging through the snow and twigs on the ground.

Another teen, with long dark hair and a blank stare stepped in front of Hayward, making a half hearted attempt to look threatening. "Didn't you hear him? He said get your hands off our stuff!"

Hayward grabbed his collar and nearly lifted him off the ground. "Listen, you punk, I said my colleague needs this medication and if I don't find it here you're going to be sorry."

Two other boys got up, ready to help their friend and attack Hayward.

'Not again,' David thought, groaning. Stoned as they were, twelve against one wasn't great odds for him. "Let me ask you something, kid. Who does your family work for, and where are _you_ going to work one day, if some sap actually decides to give you a job? The Marick Mine maybe?"

"Yeah, so, what business is that of yours?" he shot back.

"I'll tell you what. Do you think you'd get hired there, if the _owner _of the mine thought you were jeopardizing his wife's health?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"My colleague. I'm sure a lot of you have seen her around," he pointed towards the girl that had flirted with him when he arrived, "In fact _you_, I could sworn I've seen her examine you yesterday. My colleague happens to be the wife of the guy that owns Marick Mine."

"You're lying. She's some government doctor, like you," the girl taunted him.

David was getting cold again and he didn't want to waste his time arguing with these teens, "There should be one container with two labels on it, one that has her name on it. That's all I want, I don't care about the rest, even if it means I have to watch you puke your guts out at the clinic tomorrow."

One of the teens held up a container with two labels, "You want this one?" he asked him. He was so high; David was surprised he was still able to from sentences. "Show me!" he demanded.

The boy held it up, "Come and get it!"

David walked around the fire to where the boy was sitting and by the time he was about to snap the container out of his hands, he threw it to one of his friends.

"Damn you, you're going to be sorry! You little piece of…"

"Oh yeah?"

David saw a flicker of fear on one of the girls faces. "Read the label," David told her, "Tell me what it says…"

The girl snatched the container from her boyfriend's hand. "Dr. Alexandra Marick," she read aloud. She gave her boyfriend an uneasy glance, "What if he's telling the truth? What if this really belongs to the wife of the mine owner, we could be in serious trouble, man."

David appealed to her, "Just give to me, please. It's iron, for god's sake, like a vitamin pill; you can't even get a tiny buzz from it. It's useless to you." Before she had a chance to react, he reached over and grabbed the container from her.

David smiled with satisfaction. "That's what happens when you're stoned, slow reflexes." He turned around and as he did, he tripped on a piece of wood and promptly landed on the ground.

He sighed in frustration as he got back up, amidst the malicious laughter of the teens. He felt the light trickle of blood falling down his face, as his stitches ruptured from the fall.

'This is a obviously a sign,' he thought as he made his way along the forest and back towards the airfield, 'That nice guys really do finish last.'

_Medical Clinic_

When he returned to the clinic he saw Josie sitting in the bedroom, next to Alex, who had fallen asleep again.

"Well, how's our patient doing?" he asked Josie.

"Your face is bleeding," the girl told him, wide-eyed, "And your coat is covered in snow."

"Thanks, kid, I wouldn't have noticed. Do me a favour and wake her for me, okay?"

David winced as Josie gave Alex a hard nudge that made her jerk her eyes open, "I guess, I should've added 'gently'."

He sat down next to her with a glass of water and made her swallow two iron pills. "Where did you get these?" she asked him, still half asleep.

"It doesn't matter where I got them. I figured now was not a good time for you to have to go without them, besides, I don't want to face Dimitri's wrath if you do die on me."

She managed a vaguely amused smile, "Ulterior motive, of course." She saw the blood running down his cheeks, "Your stitches are coming apart, let me fix it for you."

He shook his head, "You've got to be kidding. I'll call Tina, I've got a feeling her hands are a little steadier than yours right now."

Her gaze was clear when she looked at him, and she held up both hands to prove him wrong, "I think I'll manage, and besides it's the least I can do for you."

Josie watched as Alex got up in order to redo the stitches on his face, "Told you she doesn't hate you," she whispered to David, giving him another victory smile.

"We're a thousand miles from Pine Valley, and here, in the middle of the Canadian wilderness we find a little, female version of you…" Alex pointed out, as she gently took out the old stitches and put in new ones, with a surprisingly steady hand.

_Near Cardiff, Wales_

Charlotte Devane sat in her mahogany paneled office and began to dial his number. He was not an easy man to reach but, as she did herself, he made it a point to answer calls on his direct line.

Charlotte smiled into the receiver when she heard his raspy, thickly accented voice, "Good afternoon, Cesar."

"Charlotte Devane."

She was pleased that he recognized her voice. She decided to ignore her usual pleasantries and cut right to the chase, "Tell, me something, Cesar, have you never found it odd that I share a name with the former object of your obsession, Anna Devane?"

He waited a moment before replying, "Why would I find it odd? It's not a particularly unusual name. Why are you telling me this, Charlotte?"

Charlotte laughed, "I knew I could count on you to appreciate my directness. The name, Cesar, is no coincidence. My husband's brother was a Devane, naturally, and his wife gave birth to two girls, identical twins, Anna and Alexandra."

"What are you getting at?" he demanded, his voice even deeper when angered. Most people would think twice before angering Cesar Faison, but Charlotte had no such qualms.

"I couldn't have children myself. So, to make a long a story short, I took one of the girls and raised her as my own, trying in vain to make her a worthy inheritor of my organization."

"Anna had a twin sister?"

Charlotte was thoroughly enjoying the shock in his voice, "Oh don't blame yourself for not knowing, Anna herself had no idea. How could_ you_ have known?"

"But what does that matter now? Anna is dead."

"Because I need to ask you a favour concerning Alexandra's son. Anna's nephew."

Charlotte could sense his curiosity, even over the phone, "It's more of a gift than a favour, really. In short, I want to, _give_ you the nephew of the woman you loved, in exchange for keeping him away from the daughter I despise."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter XI

_Padre oh Padre  
Tu non hai visto  
Re degli elfi  
Ecolo la _

_Father oh Father  
Haven't you seen  
The King of the elves  
There he is _

_Near Cardiff, Wales_

"I don't understand this Nigel, I'm not asking you to assassinate the Premier of Russia. I'm asking to make sure a seven year old boy eats the food we bring him! How difficult can this be?" Charlotte demanded of her right hand man.

"Very difficult, if the boy in question is your grandson," Nigel replied dryly.

"He's _not_ my biological grandson," she shot back, "You know that very well. Don't insult me like that. In two days we're shipping him off to Denmark. I'd like for him to at least survive the trip, Nigel. And because of your incompetence in the matter, it looks like I'll have to pay him a visit myself."

Charlotte Devane turned her back on Nigel and, cane in hand, walked along one of the seemingly endless corridors of her compound. 'It's time to make little Max aware that resistance is futile,' she thought, 'A child will stop resisting when he realizes it's pointless.'

At the end of the hallway was a recently installed elevator. Charlotte stepped inside it and proceeded to take it down two floors.

Once she was in the sub-basement, she walked along a second hallway, turned a sharp left, and saw the guard that was stationed outside Max's room.

"Good evening, Edward," she said crisply.

"Good evening, Ms.Devane."

"I would like to go inside," she told him.

"Of course. Shall I accompany you, ma'am?"

"That won't be necessary, Edward. Last time I checked, it is, after all, a seven year old boy inside. I think I shall manage without an armed guard."

Charlotte opened the door and found Max asleep on the bed inside. She pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down in it. "Max," she nudged him, "Wake up."

He turned around and sleepily rubbed his eyes.

"Hello, Max. Do you remember me?"

Max shook his head.

"Of course you do. You used to live here in Wales with your Mum, and sometimes I'd come to visit her in the cottage. Your Mum, you, and Heidi. Do you remember that, Max?"

He looked at her, fearful and uncertain, "I guess, maybe I do remember you." She could almost see his clever little mind spinning, looking for some connection that wasn't there. The truth was she'd barely seen him once he'd grown past infancy. There was no reason for him to remember her.

"I'm your grandmother. Charlotte."

Max stared at her, "No, you can't be. Mum always told me I didn't have grandparents because both her parents and my Dad's parents are dead."

"She's right about that, your Mum's real parents did die when she was a little girl. Because of that, I raised her, so I like to think of myself as her mother. And if I'm her mother, that makes you my grandson, doesn't it?"

Charlotte Devane had no fondness for children and pretending otherwise was no easy task. She tried to give him a reassuring smile, but it took only one look at him to realize he wasn't won over by it.

"If you're my grandma how come Mum never mentioned you and how come you never spent any time with us, if you lived so close to us in Wales?"

'Aren't you a clever thing?' Charlotte thought, suppressing the urge to strangle the little boy. "Let's just say your Mum and I never got along very well. She didn't want me to be a part of her life. Even though that made me terribly sad, Max, I respected her wishes, and now, after what happened, it looks like you and I are going to be a family after all."

Max kept staring at her. His thick, black hair was a mess, and he looked tired and hungry. "What do you mean, 'after what happened?'" he asked her, still eying her with suspicion.

"After you went camping with your father, you came back to Wildwind, and there was an accident. Your Mum and Dad were riding in a car together and they had an accident."

He looked at her in wide-eyed shock now, "No, they didn't…you're lying!"

She shook her head sadly, "You don't remember, do you, sweetheart?" She moved close to him and tried to give him a hug but he pushed her away. "You poor thing, little Max, you don't even remember that your parents died."

His face was aghast, a mask of grief, fear and disbelief. "No they didn't…they didn't…they didn't!" he yelled the same words over and over again accusingly and Charlotte watched patiently until his energy faded and he stopped yelling and started sobbing. Pitiful, mewling sounds.

Charlotte wasn't entirely sure whether he believed her but the thought of her words being true had certainly jolted him.

'That's a good sign,' she thought. 'He's uncertain right now. In a couple of days, when he realizes his precious parents aren't coming for him, he'll have accepted it. He'll begin to grieve and then I can ship him off to Faison where he can begin a new life. Once he realizes his parents are gone he'll most likely make no efforts to run away.'

Max had ducked his head underneath the sheet covers now. Charlotte sat in the room with him for a long time.

Even so, she was immune to his wails and made no further attempts to comfort him.

_Bison River First Nation, Northwest Territories, Canada_

When David Hayward got up the following morning, he seemed surprised to see Alex already up, getting the clinic ready.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he asked, yawning as he stretched himself.

"It's going to be busy. I wanted to get things ready."

Alex saw him raising his eyebrows and answered his question before he had a chance to ask it. "Look, I have to keep busy; otherwise, I'll go mad thinking about Max."

It was the truth. Right now she felt that if she were to stop moving for even a moment, she'd lose it again.

"How are you feeling?" David asked her as he got up.

"Physically, I'm fine." She saw his doubtful glance, "Honestly. I think the iron helped. I guess, I'm back to owing _you_ one."

"I'll remind you when we're back in Pine Valley…" he was about to say something else when her cell phone rang.

Alex looked at the number on the display, "It's Dimitri… unless Erica decided that I need to hear from her again.

David walked towards the bathroom door, "I guess you'd like some privacy."

Alex whispered a 'thank you' that she didn't think he heard, and answered the phone.

"Alex, is that you?" Thankfully, it _was_ Dimitri.

"Yes…"

"Oh thank god…I tried to contact you after Erica called, but Hayward, he wouldn't let me speak to you. I'm so sorry you didn't hear this from me…darling, how are you holding up?"

Even over the static of the poor reception, she could hear the love he had for her in his voice and it made her realize how badly she had needed to hear it.

"I'm fine, but tell me everything…_how_…how could this have happened?"

Dimitri recounted every detail as he remembered it. From the kidnapping at the campground, to Trevor's disappearance, right down to Erica's reaction and her decision to contact the police.

"Do you think, there's a chance it's not Charlotte?" she asked him, hoping desperately he might say yes.

"I _have_ considered it…thinking maybe it could be a kidnapping for ransom, but then yesterday I got a phone call from Heidi…"

Alex noted the change in his tone of voice, "Heidi? Is she alright? Tell me what happened, Dimitri."

He paused before going on, as if reluctant. Bracing her. "It's not good news, darling. Heidi's alright but they shot Philip, twice, in the chest. Heidi found him dead in their bedroom."

"Oh no…" Alex gasped. Her knees felt weak and she had to sit down. She could pictured Heidi so well. Her warm, selfless friend. The woman who had helped her raise Max, finding her husband shot to death.

"Oh god, Dimitri, she must be devastated."

"She told me she found out she was pregnant the same day…"

"Oh no…" Alex's heart broke for her friend and she suddenly wanted nothing more than to see her, "Is the baby…?"

"The baby's fine. Heidi's as good as can be expected, but her phone call confirmed it for me. Max's kidnapping and Philip's shooting on the same day? That's no coincidence, Alex."

"You're right…" Alex's words chocked in her throat as the brutal truth hit her. It could only be Charlotte. Sending her a message with a viciousness that made it unmistakable. "How…how could she hate me this much? To take a seven year old boy and then hurt someone like Heidi, someone so gentle she could never hurt a living soul, tell me Dimitri? _How?"_

There was silence on the other end as again he waited before speaking.

"Darling, when can you come home?" It was more of a plea than a question.

"I spoke to the Chief this morning. He said they expect the snow to stop tonight. I should be able to fly out to Yellowknife before the day is over."

"Call me as soon as the flight restrictions are lifted. I'll send the Lear jet to Yellowknife or Edmonton, whatever's easiest for you."

"Thank you…"

Alex held her hand over the phone, not wanting Dimitri to hear her cry.

But of course, somehow, he knew anyway. "Alex, we'll find him."

"I know. We have to. I love you."

"I love you too. Hurry home, alright darling?"

"I will." She turned off the phone,and placed it on the table next to her. As she did, she felt Hayward's hand on her shoulder.

"Did that help?" he asked.

"It did…Dimitri, he amazes me sometimes. He doesn't lose his strength and he doesn't give up. I don't know how he does it."

"He does it the same way you do."

She turned to him not sure what to make of the compliment, at the same time oddly grateful for his presence "It looks like I might leave tonight. Are you going to stay on for another couple of days?"

He shook his head, "No, I want to come with you."

"I don't need a bodyguard."

"I know, but I want to make sure you get home safe."

Alex glanced at Josie on the next room, "She's going to miss you. Dr. David, reader of teenage magazines."

"I plan on coming back here, in the near future."

Alex stared at the snow outside which now fell onto the ground in light sporadic flakes. 'The future…' she thought darkly. 'Who are we to dare and plan anything when really we have no clue what it holds in store for us?'

_Later that day_

Tina stood out in the airfield with Alex watching the float plane land. She lit a cigarette in the clear, crisp evening sky.

"Part of me still can't believe you're the wife of Dimitri Marick. _T__he_ Dimitri Marick. Why did you never tell me?" she asked Alex. After David's run-in with the teenagers, word had spread quickly, and the Chief himself had called Tina earlier in the day, asking her if she had known. If it was the truth. And if it was how she could have kept that from him.

Alex shrugged her shoulders. "What difference would it have made?"

"I don't know. I think…if the Chief had known, he would have given you better accommodations, more respect, you name it. You'd have been his personal guest! Alex, do you have any idea how many people here work for the mine? How much money it pumps into this town? You've got all this wealth, the Marick name, why wouldn't you take advantage of it and make your life easier? Why come here at all? Just pay someone else to do it!"

Alex looked at her, wondering if that's what people truly believed, that money solved all problems. "My husband's wealth may be able to send a Lear Jet up to Yellowknife on a moment's notice, but there's so much it can't do, Tina. It couldn't even keep my son safe."

Tina realized what she had said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I just…I hope you find your son. I really do."

"I know," Alex embraced her before stepping up towards the plane. "David wants to come back here soon, maybe, I will too one day."

Tina exhaled, watching the smoke drift upwards in the ice-cold air, "I would like that very much." She took out a long, piece of braided, sweet grass, "Take this with you. I don't really believe in a lot of our traditions anymore, but if you burn this and make an offering to whichever god you believe in, the elders tell us that His strength will guide you."

Alex thanked her and gave her a final kiss goodbye.

Further from the plane, next to the hangar, David handed Josie a magazine, "Here, I bought this for you at the convenience store. Kind of like a temporary goodbye present."

Josie took it without saying a word.

"Don't I get a goodbye kiss?" he asked her.

She ignored his question. "Are you really going to come back?"

"Have I lied to you yet?" he adjusted her scarf, so the biting wind wouldn't penetrate it.

She twisted her lips, "I suppose not."

"Well, then why would I start now?"

David noticed a solitary tear, escaping one of her eyes. "Hey," he moved his hand over it, to wipe it away, "This is _not_ goodbye. You don't have any reason to be sad." It was the first time in his life, he had any sort of interaction with a child, and this was not at all what he expected. He didn't know what to tell her. "Here," he said to her, "I expect a letter and a photo from you soon."

She looked at him, puzzled, "And what if I don't write you?"

"Then I'll have to give you a big lecture, in person, about what a terrible friend you are."

Her eyes lit up again and she was smiling now, knowing the letter would never be sent, "Okay, then."

He looked as her, sternly, "I'm serious, I mean it." He bent down on his knees and gave her a final pair of kisses, one on each cheek, before following Alex into the plane.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter XII

_E il bambino  
Con occhi chiusi  
Lui non si muove  
Perso e gia _

_And the boy  
Eyes closed  
He doesn't move  
He's already lost _

_Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley, PA_

Dimitri Marick stared out the window of the master bedroom, from the second floor of Wildwind Estate. Multiple vans belonging to several news stations were parked just outside the gates of the estate. More than a dozen reporters and cameramen stood nearby, waiting for the latest developments from the police and for some word from the grief stricken parents.

It had been barely a day since Erica Kane had made her 911 call to report the kidnapping and already it was well on its way to becoming the story of the year in Pine Valley. Apparently it had all the necessary ingredients for good, juicy news. There was mystery: _Who had taken Max and Bianca?_ _Why?_ Suspense: _Would there be a ransom demand? Would the children of two of Pine Valley's most powerful survive the ordeal?_ Drama and human interest: _How were the parents coping? Were they somehow involved? Why take both children? And where exactly had little Max been all these years before coming to Pine Valley? _

Everyone in Pine Valley knew Erica Kane and Dimitri Marick. But few had ever seen them so frightened. So powerless.

In short, it was a _great_ story.

Dimitri picked up the newspaper that lay in front of him and glanced at the headline, _'Brutal double kidnapping shocks Pine Valley.'_ There were photos of him and Max, Erica and Bianca. He was almost grateful that Alex wasn't a local celebrity, like himself and Erica. She hadn't merited a photo and thankfully no one yet had dug deep enough to make mention of Charlotte Devane. Dimitri had managed to convince Derek Frye that the media was better left in the dark in regards to Alex's mother, even if he himself believed she was their prime suspect. At the same time, Dimitri wasn't naïve enough to doubt that the kidnapping would eventually lead into investigations into Alex's nearly seven-year long disappearance from his life.

When Dimitri had brought his presumed dead wife back to Wildwind, the media had taken a mild interest in his life again. At that time, he had told them a story that was far simpler than the truth. He had spun an uninteresting tale of an accident and an unfortunate case of amnesia, rather than the true story of a woman blackmailing her own daughter to work for her as a hired killer. But now, the media would take a second look at his story and probably find inconsistencies that would have held little importance seven months ago.

"Staring at them isn't going to make them go away…" a familiar voice broke his thoughts and Dimitri turned around to see Edmund standing in the doorway of his bedroom. Both Edmund and Brooke had cut short a Tempo business meeting in Los Angeles and flown home as soon as they heard the news.

Dimitri sighed. "Want to tell me what _will_ make them disappear?" He pointed down to the news vans parked outside.

"Sooner or later, you're going to have to talk to the press. The longer you hold it off, the crazier their stories and speculations will become. Rumours will start to sound like the truth only because you don't deny them." Edmund knew better than most how the press operated, and because he was also a part of it, he knew he could do his part to protect Dimitri from them.

"What do you suggest I tell them?"

"Tell them the truth. Tell them what happened, tell them how you feel, tell them anything that's real and genuine. People don't want to see you recite a speech. They want to see an ordinary parent dealing with an unthinkable situation. People appreciate honest emotion because they can relate."

Dimitri bit his lips to stave off the bitterness he felt. "So you want me to stand in front of a dozen cameras and tell them how upset I am to have lost my son, and how guilt ridden I feel that it happened under my nose and at the hands of my own bodyguard? All that, so I can look sympathetic to the public eye? You know what, Edmund? I couldn't care less what anyone thinks of me right now. If the public want s to make me the prime suspect, they can go right ahead!"

"Hey…" Edmund put an arm around his shoulder, "I know you're upset right now…"

Dimitri raised his brows, "_Upset?_"

"The public knows you, they care about you and they have a right to know."

"I swear if I hear one more person say, 'I'm so sorry about what happened Mr. Marick,' I think I'll lose it. Everyone is acting as though my son is already dead…"

"That's not true, Dimi," Edmund tried to console him, but Dimitri knew he wasn't making it easy.

Dimitri sat down on the bed, his lack of sleep finally catching up to him. He knew he needed to get some rest if he didn't want to let his nerves get the better of him. "Alex is coming home any moment now, and when she does we'll figure out what to do together. Until then the press can wait."

Edmund agreed, "Fair enough. In the meantime, if there is anything you need, anything at all, you let me know."

"I will," he told his brother, knowing he wouldn't.

_Downstairs_

When Alex and David walked through the front doors of Wildwind and entered the sitting room, the first thing they noticed was a flurry of activity, as dozens of policemen, FBI agents and private security had set up a command centre in the middle of the room. Thankfully, the tinted windows of their town car had saved them any scrutiny from the media stationed out by the gates, however, Alex had a feeling they wouldn't be so lucky now that they were inside the Estate.

The officers barely noticed the two of them entering the room, but Erica Kane did and she rushed towards them.

Erica gave Alex a look that only barely concealed her anger, "I see you finally made it home," she said icily. "I told the FBI of your connection to Charlotte Devane and they're waiting to speak to you."

"Erica," David pulled her aside when he saw Alex's shocked expression, "Let her talk to Dimitri first."

Tears welled up in Erica's eyes and that alone made Alex bite her tongue. She knew that Erica Kane couldn't stand her. Knew that she held her responsible for ruining her future with Dimitri. In fact, she probably blamed her for a whole host of other things she wasn't even aware of. Alex also knew that whatever civility they might have maintained during the last few months would be tossed out the window now. Erica Kane obviously blamed her connection to Charlotte for whatever had happened to Bianca and Max, and she'd let her know it whenever she could.

"We don't have time to waste, David," Erica said indignantly, brushing away her tears angrily, as annoyed with them as she was with Alex. "My daughter's life could be hanging in the balance as we speak."

Alex took a deep breath as she felt her own anger rising in her throat. "I believe this is still _my_ home, and no matter what the circumstances, Erica, I'm not about to take orders from you. Before I do anything else, I'm going to see my husband." She turned on her heels and made her way up the staircase, not caring to see Erica's reaction.

Erica couldn't stop the tears that now flowed freely again, "I can't believe her, David. Our children are missing, and she's still the same arrogant…"

"She has a point, Erica. This is her home…I'm sure she'll co-operate with the FBI once she's seen Dimitri. He wouldn't have it any other way."

"Just whose side are you on anyway?"

David couldn't remember ever having seen her this upset and he took no personal offense at her anger. "Come, let's sit down, somewhere, and tell me what the latest developments are. You know, I'm on your side, and right now it looks like you could use a friend."

She nodded, as if suddenly aware of the sting of her words, "I'm sorry, David. It's just the she has this way…this _arrogance_ that just makes my blood boil. I still don't understand Dimitri and how he could…"

He led her away from the staircase, "Come on Erica, now's not the time for this. Let me get you a cup of tea."

_Master Bedroom, Upstairs_

Alex saw Edmund walking down the hallway upstairs. He turned around when he heard her steps and offered her a smile of relief when he recognized her, "I thought you might be a reporter…"

She frowned. "There certainly are enough of them out there."

Edmund put one of his hands on her shoulder, "Normally, I would say 'welcome back home' but…"

"Is Dimitri…?" she asked, glancing towards the bedroom door.

"He's in the bedroom," he replied, knowing exactly what she meant.

"Is he…alright?" she asked him, hesitantly.

Edmund shook his head, "I'd be lying if I said yes." He saw her pause before turning towards the bedroom door. "Go, be with him. I doubt there was ever a time you needed each other as much as you do now."

She managed a smile, "You always know what so say."

He kissed her lightly, on the cheek, "I wish."

When Alex opened the bedroom door, she saw Dimitri standing next to the window, staring at the news vans outside. He barely heard her enter.

"Dimitri…"

As soon as he saw her, he went to her, wordlessly, and wrapped his arms around her, pressing her body against his own. As he did, Alex felt the wetness of his tears against her face.

"I'm so sorry, darling," he whispered, "I'm so sorry…"

She stroked his head, noticing the bandage fastened to the back of it, "This is not your fault…please don't blame yourself for this."

"I should never have let this happen…I could have prevented this."

His arms wouldn't let go of her and his tears stirred up her own raw emotions. Alex felt her eyes water as she tried to comfort him, "It's okay, darling, it's going to be okay. We're going to find him."

He kissed her forehead, "I know, we will, we _have_ to."

There was a loud knock on the door, and it forced Dimitri to let go of her. He went to answer it, and saw O'Malley standing in the hallway.

He acknowledged Alex's return before telling them both the latest developments. "The PVPD, the FBI and my men have made some progress in regards to the possible location of Charlotte Devane and we're holding a briefing downstairs. I've also made some unfortunate discoveries in regards to Trevor Molina and what could have made him do what he did."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter XIII

_Figlio perduto  
Se tu non vieni  
Io usero la forza che ho _

_Lost son  
If you don't come to me  
I'll use my power _

_Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley, PA_

Dimitri and Alex were the last ones to arrive for O'Malley's briefing.

There were about twenty officers and agents in the room, most of them plain clothed. Derek Frye, Erica, David, Brooke, and Edmund were also present, all their faces sombre and serious.

O'Malley began by informing them that Charlotte Devane's latest activities had been traced to a rural area near Cardiff, Wales and that he expected to have a pinpointed location in a few days. His men had also tracked down Trevor Molina's family and made some interesting discoveries.

"Molina has no family except for a younger brother, James, who is severely mentally handicapped," O'Malley stated, "And a seventy-six year old mother, who until this past month has been James' primary caretaker. Last month, Mrs.Molina suffered a heart attack, leaving her partially paralyzed and forcing James to be institutionalized. Two days before Max and Bianca were kidnapped, James Molina was moved to a privately run, state-of-the-art medical institution in Arizona. Monthly payments for his stay were pre-arranged by Trevor, allowing the institution to withdraw funds from an open bank account for the next ten years, for his accommodation, care and any and all medical treatment that James may require. A day before the kidnappings, Trevor's mother was discharged from the hospital and also moved to a luxurious, privately run nursing home, just outside of Palm Springs, California. Again Trevor made similar financial arrangements, as he did for his brother."

Alex listened in disbelief. "Charlotte's blood money," she whispered to Dimitri.

"I had no idea about Trevor's brother," Dimitri whispered back, "Had I known, _we_ could have done something for him."

Alex squeezed his hand, "Don't darling…If he had wanted our help we both know he could have asked. Other employees have and we've never turned any of them down." She would steadfastly _not_ let him take the blame for this. Alex listened as Derek and his officers questioned O'Malley's findings and discussed the legalities with the FBI of searching a foreign country for a missing child.

"It's not a foreign country for _me_," Alex whispered angrily to Dimtiri, "As one of its citizens I have every right to go there and demand my son back. You can rest assured that as soon they know where my mother is, I'll personally pay her a visit."

"You and me both."

O'Malley went on, his voice steady and even, "As of today we still have not located Trevor himself but my men are investigating a variety of paper trails all of which are leading to South America."

Edmund interrupted him, "Can we pursue an investigation in England without having Trevor in custody in order to confirm what both Alex and Dimitri suspect?"

"It would certainly help to have him in custody, as we have no concrete evidence tying Charlotte Devane to these kidnappings. In fact, according to official channels and most of my sources, she died over seven months ago." O'Malley gave Dimitri a look that told him a lack of evidence wouldn't affect his determination in the least.

The question seemed to trigger a flood of others, some coming from the officers, some from his own men and several from Erica Kane. Alex listened as O'Malley patiently answered each and every one.

The voices droned on and suddenly the air in the crowded room felt unbearably warm, suffocating her. Alex closed her eyes for a moment, as the voices and faces began to blur.

She tried to focus on something and, as she raised her eyes towards the ceiling, Alex watched as the hand painted wood patterns began to spin above her. She squeezed Dimitri's hand again, "I've got to get some air. I'll be right back, darling."

Dimitri didn't let go of her hand, "Are you okay? I haven't even asked you if…"

"Yes… yes, I'm fine. I just have to get out of this room for a few minutes." She reached up to kiss him on the cheek before heading out into the now deserted hallway.

It was eerily quiet in the hallway compared to the flurry of activity and conversation inside the dining room. Alex went to look for her coat, when suddenly the entire room began to spin, and a wave of nausea almost made her gag. She held on to the railing of the staircase and made herself sit down on the steps.

"Not now…" she whispered, clenching her lips against the sudden nausea. She closed her eyes again and pressed a hand against her forehead.

"Not now what?" a voice next to her demanded.

She jumped, startled when she saw David Hayward sitting down next to her. "Oh God, you scared me…"

"I saw you leaving the briefing." He moved her hands from her face, "_You're_ scaring _me_ Alex. What's wrong?"

"What's _wrong_?" she asked him in return, giving him a sarcastic laugh, "That's a loaded question right now, Dr. Hayward."

"You know what I mean. You look terrible."

"I don't feel so great," she admitted. In addition to the nausea, she had a pounding headache.

"You _have_ to take a blood test, Alex. Your red blood cell levels could be dangerously low. You might even need a transfusion," he tried to reason with her.

"I don't have the_ time_ for this right now, David."

"Time? If you lose consciousness, you could lapse into a coma or go into cardiac arrest. You know that as well as I do. Do you really think that's fair to your husband, to possibly have to deal with that, on top of everything else right now?"

"Oh, that's nice. A guilt trip?"

"If that's what it takes to make you see the light. For god's sake, don't you want to be well enough to be able to look for your son?"

"I'm not sick, David," she said softly, too exhausted for this argument. "Look, I'm stressed and tired. Given what's happened, can you blame me?"

His insistence softened, "No, of course, not. But I don't think that's all, Alex. You're sick. I know you threw up on the plane ride here."

"Oh please, it was unbelievably turbulent. Even _you_ felt sick!"

"It was turbulent on the way up and you didn't flinch then," he countered gently. "It'll take less than an hour to go to PVH and run a blood test, I'll do it myself."

As much as he knew that logical reasoning would work with her, she tried the same with him, "This lightheadedness, it's nothing new David. It'll pass. There's no reason for you to think otherwise."

He raised his arms in frustrated defeat, "Fine. Go risk your life."

"Oh, come on, David. I have anemia not leukemia," she shot back, equally frustrated. "Since when do you care whether I live or die, anyway?"

He raised his brows in disbelief. "Oh you're absolutely right, Alex. I really couldn't care less. In fact, with you out of the way, I'll finally have my own office space again. Maybe I'll start cleaning out your desk after I leave here today."

His bitter reply made her aware of how thoughtless her remarks had been, after everything he had done for her in the past two days. She was doing to him exactly was Erica Kane was doing to her.

"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for," she apologized.

David stood up and offered her his hand, "Don't be sorry. Just come to PVH with me and we'll run a blood test."

"Alright, I'll go with you. If only to prove you wrong." The room spun around her again when she stood up, and she saw that David noticed her clasping the stair railing.

"Sit back down, Alex," he told her. "I'll tell Dimitri, and we'll go right away. We'll be back before anyone really misses you."

David went back into the study and noticed that Erica was now standing next to Dimitri while O'Malley answered a question posed by Edmund. David pulled Dimitri aside, "Alex and I are going to PVH to get some blood work done. We're going to be back in a couple of hours."

"Blood work? What kind of blood work? Is something wrong with Alex?" Dimitri's brows narrowed as his focus moved from O'Malley to Hayward.

"No…she's fine. But, with the climate change and stress, I think it's important to make sure everything's okay. So she can focus all her attention on getting your son back."

Dimitri tried to read Hayward's eyes, "If something's wrong, you better tell me…"

"Of course," he mumbled. "You'll be the first to know." He turned around and headed for the door, before Dimitri had a chance to say anything else.

_Near Cardiff, Wales_

In his entire seven years and five months of existence, Max had never felt such an enormous sadness.

All he wanted to do was cover himself with his blanket and never open his eyes again. He wanted so badly to shake that horrible feeling of dark, cold emptiness; a feeling that made him unable to eat and unable to move, but he had no idea where to begin. More than anything else, he desperately wanted his mother's arms around him.

He closed his eyes and tried to remember.

He searched for memories; one beautiful, warm memory after another; anything that took him away from the present.

He remembered riding on the beach with his father. He liked feeding and brushing the horses when they were in the stables, but Max knew he wasn't very good at riding them. Not yet any way.

"Don't worry, one day you'll ride just like me, or as your Mom would prefer, just like her," his Dad had told him that day, laughing, after tying up his horse, and taking off his shoes to walk along the sandy beach. Max had followed suit, yanking off his running shoes as fast as his father had done. The waves lapped against the shore, in a gentle, timeless rhythm.

It was a sound that was new to him and he liked it.

"But what if I never get as good as you do?" he had asked his father.

"Oh, you will."

"But how do you know for sure?" he had insisted, not willing to accept a simple answer for such an important question.

"Trust me on this. Both your Mom and I are crazy about horses. It's in your genes."

"But what if I _don't_?"

His father had laughed, mocking the serious expression on his face. "Well, then we'll just have to give you up for adoption. Either that, or we'll make you clean out the stables every day until you improve."

Finally, he remembered laughing too, "Ah, come on, not every day, Dad."

He knew his mother well enough to know when she was serious and when she was just teasing him, but when it came to his father, there were times he still wasn't sure. But he was getting better at figuring him out too.

Not that it really mattered. He may not have known his father the intricate way in which he knew his mother, but Max did know he loved to spend time with his father, regardless of what they were doing together.

In fact, nothing much had mattered that day, nothing except the waves, the sand and the horse they had taken out for the ride.

Max kept his eyes closed tight and searched for more memories.

He remembered how he had gone around to each and every room of that impossibly huge house that his mother now insisted was his home. A house so big and grand it had a name! There were so many rooms to explore. Max tried to picture every last one that his curiosity had demanded he explore. There were rooms that had mahogany paneling on every side and were filled, floor to ceiling, with ancient, dust covered books. Other rooms that had a musky cigar smell, old leather furniture, stone fireplaces, and still others that had lush, colourful curtains and the thickest, softest carpets his bare feet had ever walked on. No matter how many rooms he discovered, there always seemed to be one more that he hadn't seen before.

He remembered one rainy afternoon, spent exploring the countless treasures of his new home before ending up his mother's new office.

She'd been sitting at a desk that was full of papers, files and charts, and she had lifted her glasses only briefly when she saw him enter.

"Hey there, what are you doing, my little Count?"

He remembered smiling at her, "What are _you_ doing?"

"I'm reading."

He had made his way up onto her lap, "But _what_ are you reading ?"

She had whacked his sweater in mock disgust; "You are covered in dust! Where have you been all afternoon?"

He had held up one of her papers, "Rajiv and I went to the wine cellar. Why didn't we have one of those in Wales? They are _so_ cool, Mum," he had remarked, and she had raised her glasses again to give him a look that said 'Are you kidding?'. He knew her looks very well. She didn't have to accompany them with a single word in order for him to know what they meant.

"You still haven't told me what you're reading," he'd pointed out, fiddling with one of her pens. Unlike his pencils, her pens were heavy and beautiful, some of them even had engravings in gold lettering.

"I'm reading about cells, the kinds of cells that you find in the neural tube," she'd told him, focusing only half her attention on him, the other half on the diagram in front of her.

"Is this a cell?" he had asked pointing to a strange looking drawing.

"That's a neuroepithelium. It _is_ a cell, a very important one, that helps form the brain."

"Even _my_ brain?"

"Oh yes, even _your_ little brain."

"And that… what's that?" he had asked, pointing to another picture.

"Those aren't cells," she had explained. "They're cytokines. It's a protein released by certain types of cells that can either stimulate other cells or harm them."

"How can you know all that? Does your brain have more cells than mine?"

She had laughed at his question, "Maybe a few. You just have to study a lot, then, if you want one day, you can know all this stuff too."

He had begun playing with her hair, instead, no longer interested in the complex diagrams. "This stuff is boring," he told her.

"It's not boring, it's incredible Max," she had said, her eyes lighting up. "Tell me, can you think of the most complicated machine man can build?"

"A super computer, a jumbo jet engine…?" he had tried to think of one that would impress her.

"Exactly. They're amazing machines, with thousands of parts, capable of performing countless tasks and yet, compared to the human brain, they're simple and basic. The brain is the most amazing machine in the world, Max. It has billions of parts, each created for a distinct purpose, and most of them are so tiny, we can't see them, even with the most powerful of microscopes."

"So how do you know they're there, if you can't see them?"

"We know they're there, because if they weren't, the brain would stop working. And when it does work, Max, it's absolutely perfect. Man can build supercomputers and self-guided solar navigation machines that explore the far reaches of the universe, but they can't even come close to building a human brain. It's far too complicated for us to understand, much less duplicate."

"So who _did_ build our brains?"

Her smile had been mischievous at that question, "I don't know, Max." She had raised her eyes towards the ceiling. "I don't think we'll ever know."

He loved it when she talked about things like this; it made the world around him seem so incredible.

"Hey, what are you doing?" she asked him as he undid the large clip that she had used to keep her hair up. Max hated it when she did up her long, soft hair. It made it so difficult for him to run his fingers through it. "Oh, you little pest," she had then brushed her hair aside, tossing it into his face, making him laugh.

He remembered the fresh, clean scent of her shampoo as it hit his face. And then his mind drew a blank as he couldn't remember what they had done next.

He wanted so much to will himself back to that place and time. To feel the warmth and safety of her touch. The sound of her voice. The way her eyes lit up when she looked at him.

He wondered why his brain was able to remember some things so clearly; it was as though he was actually there. The sensations were so real they were almost tangible, and yet, other things, he could not remember at all. 'Mum, would know why,' he thought. She knew the answers to all his questions. 'But I'll never get a chance to ask her now.'

He couldn't believe that she was dead. That his father was dead too. How could two people that loved him so much be gone? And yet at the same time he knew that if they were still alive, they would never have left him here, alone, in this cold, windowless room for so long.

The realization brought tears to his eyes again, and, forcing them to stay shut, he struggled to remember something else.

_Brynn Wydd, Main Office_

Charlotte Devane watched the TV screen that was monitoring Max Marick's room in dismay. 'He's worse than a groundhog,' she thought, 'At least those rodents come out of their burrows a couple of times a day. Faison will be here to pick him up in less than two days. The last thing I want is to leave him with a sickly child. He'll be dreadfully disappointed.'

Her frustration subsided as she looked at the other screen, featuring Bianca Montgomery's room. The young woman had done nothing but impress her since her arrival.

She had carefully eaten everything the guards had brought, at times even thanking them for the food. She neither cried nor thrown things around in frustration. Instead she started reading the books Charlotte had placed in the room, curiously waiting to see which titles she would select.

Even her choice of literature had impressed Charlotte. Bianca had ignored the frivolous paperbacks and instead dove into biographies of Lenin and Churchill, as well as a book on the Cold War and another which pointed out the inherent fallacies of colonialism in Africa.

The more Charlotte observed Bianca, the more intrigued she became. She gathered information about the young woman's background and in doing so Charlotte discovered that Bianca was not just the well-heeled daughter of one of the foremost cosmetics magnates in the United States. She was much more than that. She was working toward a degree in International Relations at Princeton, while at the same time, working part time in one of the school's newspaper offices, although her mother's wealth obviously wouldn't require her to do anything but focus on her studies.

She was also, surprisingly, openly gay.

In short, Bianca Montgomery was a smart, opinionated, young woman, who knew the meaning of standing up for one's beliefs.

'Merely accepting the sexual orientation that was preordained for you, would have been a struggle in the world of Erica Kane,' Charlotte thought.

And, here she was; calmly reading the wisdom of Winston Churchill as she waited for her mother to pay her ransom.

For the first time in years Charlotte dared to ask herself the question she had all but given up on asking, "Could it possibly be?" she whispered aloud, "Could _she_ be the one?"


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter XIV **

_Figlio Perduto,  
Vuoi fare un gioco?  
Gioia ti porto  
Vieni con me _

_Lost son  
Do you want to play?  
I bring you joy  
Come with me _

_Cardiff, Wales_

"I don't think this is a good idea," Nigel cautioned her, as Charlotte prepared to meet face to face with the young woman she had held captive for several days now.

"As far as I recall, I didn't ask you for your opinion," she replied tersely.

The weather was again aggravating her injuries, meaning she had spent a fair portion of the day in pain. She knew she was treating Nigel unfairly again as a result, and made herself a mental reminder to stop. 'I have to accord him some respect occasionally, or else he may lose all respect for me, or worse, his loyalty for the organization.' But after a trying day that included the loss of one of her agents on assignment in Damascus, her meeting with Bianca Montgomery was the one thing she had been looking forward to. She wasn't about to let Nigel spoil it.

"Poor Ethan," she sighed as she closed the file on her dead agent for the final time. "He did everything right and still they got to him first. At least he managed to kill himself before they could do the job using means far less pleasant than swallowing a cyanide capsule. Thankfully, he had no identification to tie him to us in any way." She handed Nigel a stack of papers. "Make sure this is taken care of by tomorrow, " she told him, referring to the financial compensation his family would receive as a result of his death.

"I'm now going to see Bianca." She refused to take a bodyguard, but she did load her .40 caliber Glock 23. The sleek black gun, weapon of choice for the FBI, was her personal favourite.

Bianca was still eating her lunch when Charlotte entered the room where she was held.

She looked up with interest and curiosity to see who had come to see her.

"Who are you?" she asked, unafraid, knowing with certainty that whoever had held her captive this long was obviously interested in keeping her alive.

Charlotte held out her hand, "My name is Charlotte. Charlotte Devane."

"Do I know you?" Bianca asked.

Charlotte didn't say anything, giving Bianca a chance to put together the pieces on her own. She watched the young woman figure it out.

"Devane…are you related to Alex?"

Charlotte smiled.

"You are, aren't you? You're her mother, the woman who kept her away from Dimitri for over seven years. You kidnapped me…and Max. Of course, Max! Where is he? Tell me!"

Charlotte was pleased at how quickly she had put two and two together. "You're right. I am Alexandra's mother. As for holding her captive, well, that might be _her_ story. Maybe I'll tell you my version one day. And little Max is doing just fine."

Bianca stood up next to Charlotte, "Then let me see him!"

Charlotte pulled out her handgun, making sure Bianca kept her distance. Making sure she knew who she was dealing with. "Not so fast, young lady."

"What have you done with him?" Bianca demanded. While her voice was still steady, Charlotte caught a hint of fear in her eyes.

"What in the world would I do with him?" Charlotte asked, as if offended. "He's a seven year old boy. He's worth nothing to me."

Bianca was puzzled now, "Then why kidnap him? Why kidnap us?"

Charlotte sat down on the only chair that was in the room. The pain of her injuries wasn't allowing her to remain standing. It was a weakness that she cursed under her breath. A new, permanent weakness, for which she blamed her daughter as much as if she had pulled the trigger on the gun herself. "Why, you ask? I'll tell you why, Bianca. Because my darling daughter's friend shot me twice, turning me into the semi-invalid I've become. I'm not forgiving person, so I decided it was time for a little pay-back. I took her son, Bianca, only to remind her of the pain that I have to endure every day. And then, I returned him again."

Bianca looked at her in disbelief. "Why in the world would you kidnap Max and then return him again? That doesn't make any sense."

Charlotte smiled. Of course Bianca would question her lies. She hadn't expected anything less. "Haven't you ever done something just to teach someone a lesson? I told you. I hate my daughter for what she did to me and during one particularly painful morning, I decided it was time for her to suffer as well. Call me vengeful, spiteful whatever you like, but I'm not a kidnapper. And I'm certainly not a murderer." Charlotte chuckled. "In fact, I wouldn't know what to do with my grandson if I kept him here for more than a few days."

Bianca's brows narrowed, trying to make sense of her explanation, "So you kidnap Max to hurt Alex. Then you return him to her. I could understand that, I suppose, in some twisted context, but that still begs the question…where do I come in? Why would you hold me hostage here, if that was all you wanted to do?"

"Well," Charlotte paused. "You…you just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. I paid Trevor to kidnap Max, and because, you were in the way, he decided to deliver you as well. Imagine my surprise when you arrived at my estate."

"That's absurd," Bianca countered incredulously. "He could have just knocked me out. Or do you have something against _my_ mother too?"

Charlotte laughed, "I don't even _know_ your mother, Bianca. I've only seen photographs of her, and believe me, tight, designer dresses and lavish makeup are not enough to send me into a blind rage."

In spite of herself, Bianca had to stifle a laugh.

"If you really want truth, I'll tell you. I know your mother was once married to Dimitri. Maybe part of her loves him still…I also knew she would blame Alex for what took place, and _that_ would create some added conflict for my daughter." She snorted. "Petty, I know. But I couldn't resist."

"So you wanted to hurt Alex, and you succeeded I'm sure. Mission accomplished. So why am I still here? Money is obviously not a factor," Bianca pointed out.

"No, you're right it's not," Charlotte replied. "The reason you're still here Bianca is because I find you fascinating and because there are some things I want to show you."

Bianca gave her a puzzled expression; "Things like what?"

"I want to show you what it is that I do here. I want to show you the organization that I've committed my entire life to."

The answer did not satisfy Bianca. "You want to give me a tour of your spy agency?"

Charlotte moved next to Bianca, pulling out a set of handcuffs, "It's much more than a spy agency, and yes, I do want to give you a tour." Charlotte smiled, "I trust you'll humour me, yes?"

"Do I have a choice?"

Charlotte slipped a handcuff onto her own wrist, fastening her to Bianca. She stroked the top of Bianca's hand, as she did.

"Your skin is very smooth," Charlotte remarked, raising the corner of her lips into a smile when she saw Bianca's pupils widening at her touch.

She called for the guard to enter the room, and then leaned in towards Bianca, whispering now, "Soon you're going to see the power that's wielded from this compound. For someone who is majoring in International Relations, someone determined to make a difference in this world, I think you will find it highly interesting."

Charlotte ran her tongue along her lips, moistening them.

She smiled sweetly at Bianca, nudging her out into the corridor.

"You and I have more in common than you might think."

_Pine Valley Hospital, Pine Valley, PA_

David Hayward took Alex to their office and made her sit down before drawing her blood. She sat on the same grey sofa that he had so often used to catch up on precious moments of sleep after surgeries that sometimes lasted eight hours or more, leaving him too drained to make the trek home.

"Are you going to leave me with any?" she asked after he drew a third vial of blood.

"You know I need this much. Besides the RBC count, I want to check your hemoglobin too," he told her before pulling out the needle for the final time. "I'll send it down right away and rush the results."

"As if. It's almost midnight," she reminded him, "There's no one working in the labs now. If you give them to me, I'll do it."

He raised his brows. "Are you kidding? You're exhausted. Stay here and rest. I'll do it myself."

She looked at him skeptically. "When's the last time you did any blood work?"

"I'm quite capable of doing this," he told her, offended at the suggestion that he wasn't.

"You're not a lab technician."

"Neither are you."

He saw that she struggled to keep her eyes open. "Why don't you lie down and take a nap while I do this? You could use it."

He expected her to protest and it almost worried him that she didn't. Instead, she put her legs up on the sofa and sank her head against the armrest, pressing the palm of her hand against her forehead.

"Can I get you something for your headache?" David offered.

She shook her head, "No."

David shook his own head in frustration. He didn't understand her constant, unrelenting stubbornness. Between her and Dimitri he couldn't begin to imagine an argument in the Marick household. "It would help you relax and get some sleep."

"No…" she tried to explain, "Look, if it goes away, I'll think only of Max."

David bit his lip. "I see…let me know if it gets worse, okay?"

He turned off the lights, as well as the ringers on their phones, and closed the door behind him before heading down to the laboratory in the basement.

Two hours later he was back in their office.

Alex was fast asleep on the sofa and for the first time since leaving Bison River earlier in the day, he realized he too was on the verge of collapsing with exhaustion. He was used to long days, but this was one of the longest in recent memory.

He went back outside, into the hallway to call Dimitri and let him know that they wouldn't be back at Wildwind for a few more hours, avoiding a long explanation by pretending to have another call on the line.

David knew that Alex would want him to wake her once he got the results of the blood test, but he didn't have the heart. Besides, she needed the rest. Especially knowing what he now knew.

David walked up to the nearest patient floor and grabbed two blankets before returning to their office one last time. He covered Alex with one of them and then sank into his own soft leather chair. He pulled the second blanket over himself and put his feet up on his desk.

He was asleep before he fully closed his eyes.

_Six hours later_

It was Alex who woke up first, thanks to the daylight that now flooded their office. David had drawn the curtains before going to sleep but they were no match for the sun's brightness.

Alex checked her watch and gasped when she saw the time. It was just after eight in the morning. She saw that David was asleep in his chair, snoring lightly in what looked like one of the most uncomfortable sleeping positions she'd ever seen.

As she made her way towards his desk, Alex felt surprisingly refreshed. Both her headache and the lightheadedness were gone. A night's worth of sleep had obviously done wonders. She saw her blood test results on his desk and reached over to pick them up, as quietly as possible, so as not to wake him.

But as she reached over she inadvertently knocked down a paperweight that sat on his desk, making David snap awake.

"Sorry!" she whispered. "I tried to get these without waking you, but no luck."

He grinned, squinting at the brightness, "Klutz." He handed her the results, "Go ahead…take a look at them."

She read over the charts, and seeing the results, gave David a pleased look. "Hey…this is _good_. Better than I'd have hoped. The levels aren't nearly low enough to warrant a transfusion."

He nodded, "It _is_ good. I mean…they're not great, but definitely good given your condition."

"Is this where I say 'I told you so,'?"

"Oh sure..." He smirked, "I can admit it when I'm wrong. And in this case, I don't mind at all. Except…"

"Except?"

David held another sheet of paper, "The results did make me wonder, Alex. As in why you've been feeling so awful, considering your counts are pretty decent."

"It's stress. What else?"

"I took the liberty of running another test…"

She shook her head in disbelief, "Oh, of course you did."

He handed her the paper he'd been holding, "Here, have a look."

"What?" Alex looked at it and then drew her hand to cover her mouth in shock, "This can't be…"

She sat back down on the sofa, unwilling to trust what she saw on the paper.

"I ran it twice, Alex, just to be sure. There's no mistake. You're pregnant."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter XV **

_Padre oh padre  
Re degli elfi  
Mi sta toccando  
Male mi fa _

_Father oh father  
It's the King of the elves  
He is touching me  
He hurts me _

_Brynn Wydd, Wales_

Bianca Montgomery walked down the corridor in silence, unsure what to say or think.

Her kidnapper was taking her on a tour of her facilities. While armed and handcuffed to her.

Bianca wasn't sure whether to be afraid or start laughing. Maybe she'd wake up soon and realize it was all a dream.

She tried to remember what little she knew about Charlotte Devane, hoping it would help her figure out whether anything the woman had told her was close to the truth.

In hindsight, Bianca now realized that Dimitri had divulged very little about Alex's seven-year disappearance from his life, even though Bianca remembered asking him about it more than once.

Even her mother had been more forthcoming than Dimitri.

Several months ago, her mother had taken a sudden trip to the United Kingdom to help Dimitri search for his missing wife. She had come back distraught, telling her that her engagement to Dimitri was off because he had indeed found Alex. Thinking back to that day, Bianca now realized that pestering her mother about what had happened, so soon afterwards, probably wasn't the kindest thing to do.

"So where was Alex all this time?" she had asked her mother.

"When Dimitri found her, she was literally clinging to life," Erica had explained. "Since then, all he's told me is that her mother, Charlotte Devane, had recruited her to work for her in her spy agency all these years. Or so he says. Who really knows if that's what happened?"

"But how did Charlotte manage to keep Alex from contacting Dimitri all this time?" Bianca had pressed her mother.

As always the subject of Alexandra Devane had annoyed Erica, "Look, I don't know, sweetheart. I just know that shortly before Dimitri found her, she had written him a letter. I was there the day Dimitri got that letter and Max arrived on his doorstep and I read it with him. Alex wrote that Charlotte had threatened to kill Dimitri if she dared to make contact with him. As to whether that's the truth or not, I don't know. It's what she told Dimitri and he believed it. Not only that but it was enough to convince him to return to her as though the last few years we had together didn't exist, and that, my dear…is all I care to discuss on this topic."

Bianca had always liked Alex, in spite of her mother's misgivings.

Alex had always been kind to her and, although her mother tried to convince her that Alex was cold and aloof, and quite possibly a gold-digger, among other things, Bianca hadn't seen any of it and Dimitri's obvious love for her only reinforced her own beliefs. While she sometimes doubted her own judgment, she trusted Dimitri's.

Now she suddenly doubted herself all over again. Maybe her mother's instincts had been better than Bianca had wanted to admit. Maybe there was more to the story than Dimitri had told her.

Was it really possible that one of Alex's friends had pumped a few bullets into another human being at her command?

Bianca stared at Charlotte Devane and kept walking, hoping that somehow, sometime soon, things would start to make sense.

_Pine Valley Hospital, Pine Valley, PA_

Alex couldn't help but stare at the paper she was holding in her hands. David's words echoed in her head.

"_There's no mistake. You're pregnant."_

"This is _not _possible," she said aloud to David. "It's not."

"You mean you and Dimitri haven't…?"

Alex blushed, "No, that's not what I mean."

Of course it _was_ possible. It was very possible.

In fact, since returning to Wildwind seven months ago, her and Dimitri had more than made up for lost time. Birth control had never been a consideration. Dimitri had even suggested they try for another child.

Alex's mind suddenly flashed back to one warm afternoon, when Max had been at school and the two of them had gone riding on the grounds of the estate and ended up back at the turret.

It had been Dimitri's idea to climb to its top, flashlight in hand.

"You know, this used to be Ryan and Gillian's secret hideaway, before they got married. Maybe we should pay homage to it," he told her once they had gotten to the top. Now it stood empty, with the exception of some old, bare furniture and worn carpets. Dimitri had taken out two blankets from one of the wooden chests.

"You want to go for a nap?" she had asked him.

He had put his arms around her waist and kissed her, "Actually, I had something else in mind."

"Oh really…" she had given him a sly smile as her hands moved to slip off his riding jacket.

He slid off her clothes with the same ease. His familiarity with the exact location of every button and zipper on her garments had made her smile. She loved the way his body knew hers and she never tired of the way he made her feel.

Afterwards lying on the thick blankets, naked and content, he had suddenly brought up the topic of children. "Have you ever thought about maybe having another little Max?"

"Another little Max? Is one little Max not enough for you?" she had teased.

"Actually I was thinking of a little girl. One that's as beautiful as her mother."

She had laughed. "Didn't we have this discussion once before, a long, long time ago? I seem to recall you wanting our kids to have your looks and my brains."

He had kissed her again, on her forehead first, then trailing his lips downwards to meet hers. "But that was before Max. Now I know that I want our kids to have your looks _and_ your brains."

"They've got to have something from you as well," she had protested lazily.

"They can have my great taste."

Then she had turned serious, "I don't know Dimitri, I think I'm getting too old for this."

"In this day and age, you could probably have at least another three kids."

This time she had burst out laughing, "The only way we're having another three is if the next one ends up being triplets!"

He too had laughed then, "My god, imagine that. Three more kids…maybe that _is_ a little ambitious."

She moved on top of him, "Well, if it happens, it happens. We're not doing anything to prevent it."

"If we do have another child, it's on one condition…" he mumbled.

"What's that?"

"We're not going to name our next child after a horse."

"What!?" she had whacked him with his shirt, "Max is a perfectly good name. I figured you must like it since it's the name you gave your favourite horse. I didn't name our son _after_ the horse!"

He had reveled in her indignation, laughing as her eyes turned a shade darker. "How about Ludmilla if it's a girl?"

This time she had covered his face with his shirt, "Over my dead body."

The memory made Alex wonder how she could go from being so blissfully happy, to having her world turned upside down again. A child with the man she loved was a blessing, Alex firmly believed that. Given her age, she didn't think the odds were still in her favour, but if she were to find herself pregnant again, she'd be ecstatic.

'But not now,' she thought, her mind back in the present. 'How can I concentrate on having another child when all I can think about is Max?'

"I guess this is a surprise then," Hayward said softly.

"You could say that."

"You know this might be risky, given your anemia, right?"

Alex nodded. "I know."

"I can refer you to someone excellent."

"I, uh... thanks…" Alex didn't know what to say. It was all too sudden. Too overwhelming.

David gave her a lopsided smile, "Congratulations." Then he got up, and straightened the rumpled shirt he had slept in. "I'm going to grab some food from the caf, and then I'll drive you back to Wildwind before Dimitri sends out a search party for you."

"I can take a taxi back."

"I'm going to drive home anyway, for a change of clothes. It's no trouble."

"Fine."

He turned around in threw his arms into the air in mock surprise. "What? No argument? You're getting soft."

The corner of her lips lifted into a smile. He had a way of doing that lately. Of taking her mind off the things she couldn't bear to think about.

_The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away._

The words rang through her mind out of nowhere. For no reason.

Alex shivered at the ominous meaning.

"If this is your way of replacing my son, then…then I don't want this child…"

It was a bitter thought, but Alex didn't care. She meant it. Max meant the world to her. He'd been her reason for living for the last seven years. Her _everything_.

She raised her eyes towards the ceiling, "What would you do, Anna?"

How many times had she asked that question of the twin sister she had never met but with whom she still felt an inexplicable bond? She had never been particularly spiritual, but somehow it made sense to seek advice from the one person who was truly her other half. Even if she was no longer alive. She spoke to Anna aloud now, wishing once again that she could have had the chance to know her when she was still alive.

"How about some sort of sign, something, _anything, _sis. You've always helped me out so many times in the past." She paused, remembering that awful night in Wales when she had decided to stage her own suicide in an attempt to regain some control over Charlotte. It was Anna she'd asked for advice then too. "Mind you, they weren't always easy decisions that you helped me with, but I'm still here, so we must have made some good choices." The thought of her dead sister also reminded her of her intentions to contact Anna's daughter, Robin. Using Charlotte's resources she had found out about Robin and now knew that she was studying medicine in Paris. It was something she had planned to do ever since returning to Pine Valley, but of course, one thing had led to another, and, even though she had found a contact phone number for her niece in Paris, she had never made the call. In fact, each time she had nearly picked up the receiver, it was nerves that made her put it back down again.

"I wanted to let you know that you have an aunt and little cousin but I didn't know where to start…and now…"

Alex heard the door of her office swing open and saw Dimitri enter.

He looked at her and Alex thought she saw a sign of relief on his face. "Hey there," he sat down next to her, "Who are you talking to?"

She leaned against him, "Anna."

He moved his arms around her. "And, what did she say?"

She gave him a lopsided smile, "I don't know. You interrupted her…"

Alex hadn't realized that she'd been crying. Even now she only noticed because Dimitri brushed the tears from her face, "Maybe I can help…"

"I'm scared, Dimitri. I'm so scared for Max."

"I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't scared too, darling." He held her closer, "But you know I won't rest until we find him."

"I know."

Dimitri turned towards her, "Last night I was worried about _you _too. When Hayward called and said you were spending the night here, I almost lost it. He wouldn't tell me much of anything." He paused, "Alex, is there something you're not telling me? If there's something wrong with your health, you _have_ to tell me, no matter what the circumstances."

She took his hand in hers, "It's nothing for you to worry about. I felt sick up north and David worried that maybe, with the climate change and the stress, my red blood cell count could have fallen, so he insisted on some tests."

"And?"

"And they came back fine, even better than I had anticipated."

Dimitri didn't look entirely convinced.

He knew that after almost a decade of living in Charlotte's clandestine world, there was still so much she couldn't share with him. Things that might cause him pain or grief were things she tried to keep from him, more out of habit than anything else. She wanted to tell him how grateful she was for his patience, but even that was hard to put into words.

"Promise me you won't protect me from the truth?" he asked her gently.

"I promise." Her eyes met his, letting him know he could trust them. "But there is… something else. Something I need to tell you…"

Before she had a chance to finish her sentence, she heard Dimitri's cell phone ring.

Dimitri picked it up, "I better get this, I told O'Malley to call me as soon as he gets word on anything."

It wasn't O'Malley and Alex listened as Dimitri tried to calm down an obviously distraught Erica Kane.

"O'Malley won't give you any details because he works for _me_, and I told him to speak to me first. I know we're talking about your daughter. Yes, I know, but right now I worry as to what you're going to do with any confidential information. You're not thinking rationally. Erica, listen, I can be there in 20 minutes, O'Malley can speak with all three of us then. Of course you'll be part of it…of course. Erica, listen, Alex and I will be there right away."

Dimitri sighed as he hung up the phone. "We have to head back to Wildwind. Apparently Erica thinks O'Malley has come up with some sort of lead and he's not willing to divulge it to her."

Before Alex had a chance to say something else, David entered the office. He tossed Alex a carton of milk and a sandwich. "Here, I brought you some food." He saw Dimitri, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see my wife, if that's okay with you."

David shrugged his shoulders, "As if I could stop you. Dimitri Marick does what Dimitri Marick wants, doesn't he?" He glanced at Alex, trying to figure out whether she had told him about the pregnancy or not.

Alex averted his eyes.

"I could say the same about you, Doctor Hayward. What happened to your face anyway?"

David shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "You know, the usual. Bar fight."

Dimitri turned to David, as if a sudden realization hit him, "Tell me Hayward, are you and Erica still close?"

David shrugged again, "Sure, we've stayed friends"

"Do you think you could come and see her at Wildwind? She could really use a friend right now."

David took a bite of his sandwich, "I've got a feeling she'd rather have your friendship than mine, but sure, if you think it'll help her, I'll stop by this afternoon." He went to get his coat and gave Alex a wave, "I'll see you then as well."

Without a goodbye, he headed out the door.

Dimitri shook his head, puzzled. "He's so odd and arrogant. It's as though every conversation provokes him into a power play."

"You know, I used to think that too. But I have to admit, he's been a good friend this past week."

"No kidding? For that alone he might deserve a bit more respect." He looked at her, "You said you wanted to tell me something?"

Alex wanted to tell him about the baby. She wanted to shout it loud. But somehow it felt so wrong to be happy at this very moment.

She would tell him when they found Max, she decided. Not just Dimitri, but she would tell both of them at once. Max would be so excited at the thought of getting a little brother or sister.

"It's…it's nothing. I just wanted to ask you if we could head out to Swansea by tomorrow. I owe it to Heidi, and by the time they've pinpointed Charlotte's location, we'll already be nearby."

"To tell you the truth, it won't be easy to leave the country right now. Derek's already been getting on my case about your connection to Charlotte and the FBI tells me that without clear evidence or a motive, they'd be violating international laws by pursuing Charlotte in the UK. The matter needs to be handled by Scotland Yard."

"That's all the more reason why we have to go ourselves, Dimitri! Because of all this ridiculous bureaucracy. Neither of us are suspects, which means we're free to travel. I'm a British citizen, and you're my husband, so we have every right to investigate a possible kidnapping there."

"And once we locate Charlotte, what are we going to do? Storm her fortress with our bare hands?" he asked.

"If that's what it takes…"

"I'm not letting you go up against her alone, Alex. Not after everything she's done to you already."

Alex had a feeling he was about to say he wouldn't let her go up against Charlotte at all, but that was an argument she'd save for England.

Dimitri held out his hand to help her up, "Let's go see O'Malley and what he's found out and then we'll get ready to fly to England."

_Near Cardiff, Wales_

Nigel Hawthrop was considerably more agitated than he thought he was capable of being.

The thought of Charlotte showing her captive the inside workings of Brynn Wydd made him queasy.

He hastily walked down the long corridor in the sub basement of the compound and caught Charlotte in the hallway with Bianca, and Edward, the guard.

"Ms.Devane, if I may speak to you for a moment before you commence?"

Edward undid the handcuffs that tied Bianca to Charlotte and fastened them to his own wrist.

Charlotte moved out of earshot with Nigel.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I beg you to reconsider before taking this girl, this_ stranger_, around certain areas of this compound that are far too sensitive to anyone who might not have our best interests in mind."

Charlotte laughed, "Don't worry. I won't show her the torture chambers."

Nigel frowned, "I don't understand how you can take this so lightly. You want to show her the inner workings of Brynn Wydd, in the hopes of impressing her enough to leave behind her life as she's known it, and come and work for you?"

"In a nutshell, that's exactly it."

"It's madness!" Nigel looked at her as though she'd lost her mind. As though she was senile to the point of being incapable of running the organization any longer. "You're compromising years of hard work. What if young Bianca Montgomery is not impressed? What then?"

Charlotte pursed her lips in frustration, "What do you _think_ I'll do then? Do you honestly think I'll let her see the inside workings of Brynn Wydd, and then let her go, so she can tell the world? Do you really think I've lost it? "

'Men,' she sighed inwardly, 'They have no such thing as intuition, and they will never understand how infinitely calculating a woman's mind can be.' Charlotte looked at Nigel sadly, 'You honestly think you're going to be my successor, don't you?' She smiled to herself, 'After all this time, you still don't get it. Just as no woman will ever be President of the United States, no _man_ will ever head the organization that I've created.'

"Is there anything else?" she asked him.

He shook his head, "No, ma'am."

"Good. Then I think we're ready for our tour."

Charlotte walked towards Bianca, smiling at her. "Bianca, you have to forgive me for the handcuffs, but I don't know yet whether I can trust you and I'm taking you to areas that are considered classified and sensitive. I have to protect my interests at hand. Surely you understand, yes?"

Bianca looked at her in disbelief, "No, I don't understand why you're giving me a tour of your organization. Do you do this to all your captives?"

"All my captives? Do you think kidnapping is a hobby for me? No, my dear," Charlotte looked at her, mildly annoyed. "You're the first one. Bianca, you're studying International Relations, tell me, do you really believe that a single individual is capable of making profound changes to our world?"

Bianca looked like she was taken aback by the question, "Of course I believe that. Individuals have always had the power to change the course of history. Look at Hitler, Lenin, Kennedy, Columbus, Napoleon…the list is endless."

"But today the world is bogged down in bureaucracy and indifference," Charlotte told her. "Politicians no longer have ideals, they merely have interests, and instead of having a desire to truly lead and inspire those around them, all they focus on is self-preservation and personal agendas."

"What does all that have to do with your organization?" Bianca asked. Her interest was obviously piqued.

Charlotte continued as they entered an elevator that took them to ground level, "When I was your age, Bianca, I joined the British Secret service, and what I thought would be an opportunity of a lifetime to make my mark in this world, became instead an exercise in frustration. I was assigned to track down terrorist cells in Northern Ireland, and I witnessed with my own eyes, the futility of fighting extremists the while trying to work within the boundaries of the law. Before arrests could be made, terrorist groups had to be infiltrated, evidence had to be gathered, slowly and painstakingly, and meanwhile people died."

Bianca's eyes were busy soaking in her surroundings, even so she reflected on her question. "So what are you saying? Anyone, who's a suspect should just be jailed or killed? If we did that our world would be complete anarchy and lawlessness."

The reply didn't please Charlotte. It sounded so much like Alexandra's kind of rebuttal. She ordered Edward and Bianca to stop walking, so she could provide her young visitor with some cold, hard facts.

"Let me tell you something Bianca. _Nine_ out of ten suspects turned out to be criminals at the very least. _E__ight_ out of ten turned out to be terrorists. That's eighty percent, Bianca. When the Allied forces invaded Normandy, do you not think fifteen to twenty percent of the casualties might have been innocent lives? Yet no one calls Winston Churchill a reckless murderer. He was a true leader, willing to make sacrifices for the good of the whole."

For a moment Bianca seemed tongue tied. "You make it sound so simple," she finally replied. "I agree with you, he was a great leader, and unlike most politicians today, he didn't care about how his decisions would affect his popularity. All he cared about was how they would affect his country and his people. "

Charlotte smiled, much more pleased with that response. "So after five years of working for the SIS, I decided I had had enough, and I quit. I got married, and shortly thereafter, being unable to have children, we adopted Alexandra."

Charlotte stopped walking, along with Edward, the guard; she sat down on a bench that was in the middle of the corridor. She motioned for Bianca to join her, continuing her story.

"As much as I loved my daughter and husband, it didn't take me long to realize that being a housewife was not an option for me. I decided not to pursue another career in Intelligence; instead, I founded my own anti-terrorist organization, and named it Brynn Wydd, after the little town in Wales where I would base it. After spending countless days establishing foreign contacts, I began hiring and training agents to carry out missions to kill suspected terrorists, manufacturers of biochemical weapons, drug lords you name it."

Bianca listened in astonishment, "Assassins for hire?"

"I guess you could say that. But it was also more than that. Brynn Wydd was an organization that got things done. Working for me became a highly coveted career step for many wanting a future in intelligence. We began receiving contracts not just from those with individual interests but from foreign governments and eventually even from my own Prime Minister. Brynn Wydd eventually became a top secret, highly classified, but nonetheless, legitimate, tax-paying organization. And I created it single-handedly. It's my pride and joy, Bianca."

Charlotte paused before saying anything else, looking at Bianca for a reaction. The young woman returned her stare, her eyes unblinking. "What are you thinking, Bianca?"

"I don't know what to think…" Bianca answered honestly. "It is…incredible. The sheer scope of your organization is incredible. But essentially you're telling me your agents are killers. It's horrible…" She shuddered in the cold, stone corridor.

Charlotte ran her hand over Bianca's, "You're wrong, my dear, my agents don't murder _civilians_, they murder _cold blooded killers_. Think not of how many lives my men and women have taken, but how many lives they saved. Just imagine if someone had the guts to kill Hitler before…just think Bianca. Six million lives might have been _saved_. My agents are heroes. Not murderers."

Bianca's expression had changed and Charlotte could see her trying to digest what she was telling her.

Charlotte smiled, liking the conflict she saw in Bianca Montgomery's face. It was more than she had ever seen in her self-righteous daughter's face. "So, let me ask you this, Bianca, do you agree that sometimes the end justifies the means? Because if you absolutely disagree with that statement…then this ends right here. There's no need for you to see anything else. I'll bring you back to your room and tomorrow I'll make sure you're safely escorted back to Pine Valley. Back to your mother."

Bianca didn't say anything.

"I want you to know that this is entirely your decision," Charlotte added.

Bianca's eyes lingered on Charlotte's and for a moment she seemed embarrassed by her own curiosity. Then she took a deep breath and gave her an answer that was so firm it sent shivers of excitement up Charlotte's spine.

"I want to see more."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter XVI **

_Ma ad un tratto  
Il bimbo trema  
Dalla paura  
Freddo si fa _

_But suddenly  
The boy trembles  
With Fear  
It gets cold _

_Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley, PA_

"Are you crazy?!" Derek Frye exclaimed as soon as Dimitri informed him of his plans to travel to Wales.

"Being here, two thousand miles from where my son is, is not helping me find him," Dimitri replied, trying hard to keep his voice level.

"You can't just take off and play James Bond, Mr. Marick. All you'll do is endanger your life and that of your wife. At this point and time we don't even have any concrete evidence linking this presumed dead woman to the crime."

Dimitri raised his voice, "Hearing you say that has just made me lose all faith in you!"

Erica Kane walked into the room, listening to the exchange between the two men.

"Dimitri, what's going on here? Why are you yelling at Derek?"

Lieutenant Frye didn't give Dimitri a chance to respond, "He's planning on leaving the country tonight."

"Tell me that's not true, Dimitri?" Erica looked at him in astonishment.

"Alex, O'Malley and I are flying to Swansea and then we're going to head for Cardiff."

"If you're leaving for England, then I'm coming too."

Derek shook his head in unconcealed frustration, "I can't believe I'm hearing this…this madness! Four civilians taking the law into their own hands…I should have you all arrested…"

"Excuse me," Erica glared at the lieutenant, annoyed with both men. "Could you please give us some privacy? This is a family matter."

Frye turned around, still shaking his head. "Last time I checked this was also a police matter," he mumbled on his way out.

Erica moved closer to Dimitri, "You and Alex are not going to leave me here while you chase after Charlotte in the UK!"

"You are _not_ coming with us. The last thing I need is to have to worry about you," Dimitri told her firmly.

"Oh, but it's alright for you to have to worry about Alex…?" she said indignantly.

"Alex is my wife! Besides she knows how to take of herself."

"I don't care Dimitri, what you think or what you say, I'm coming with you." Erica saw David open the door halfway, peeking into the room. "Oh David, I am so glad you're here. You have to talk some sense into Dimitri."

Dimitri sat down, rubbing the bandage on the back of his head, "Oh, this is just great."

"Alex and Dimitri are going after Charlotte in England, and they think for some reason I don't have every bit as much of a right to be there as they do!" Erica told David, expecting him to be as outraged as she was.

David raised his brows, "I'm sorry, but I have to agree with Dimitri…come to think of it, the whole idea is reckless. You should stay here and let the police handle this. They have the means to deal with Charlotte. You don't. " He turned towards Dimitri, "I don't think you should go either, and if you do, the last thing you should do is take Alex along. It would be playing right into Charlotte's hands, wouldn't it?"

"You don't understand David, Heidi was Alex's closest friend for seven years. She helped raise Max and now her husband's been shot because of Alex's connection to Charlotte. They are having a memorial service for him tomorrow. Alex _has_ to go."

"What?" Erica demanded, "Where did this Heidi person come into the picture? I thought you were going to confront Charlotte? Now it's turning into a social call for your wife, while our children are facing God knows what!"

"Erica…" David tried to calm her.

"I can't believe you Dimitri," Erica told him bitterly, "What could be more important than our children right now?"

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that…" Dimitri seethed.

"I can repeat it if you like!" Erica shot back. "What's it going to take for you to see the light, Dimitri, and put our children first?"

The words stung. How could the woman he had once planned to spend the rest of his life with think he wouldn't do everything in his power to bring back Max and Bianca?

"I'm going to leave now," he told her, afraid if he didn't he might say something he'd regret. He walked past the officers in the living room and headed outside, onto the grounds of the estate. He desperately needed to get away from all of them.

Back inside, David examined Erica, as she wiped away new tears. "That was a little harsh, don't you think?" he asked her.

She sat down, drained and exhausted. "I haven't slept in two days, David. All I think about is Bianca. Where is she? Is she cold? Is she hurt? Is she asking for me? And here Dimitri is telling me that he's taking Alex to visit her friend in Swansea. Can you blame me for losing it?'

David sat down next to her and put his arms around her, "No, I don't blame you. But what I don't understand is why you can't see that Alex is going through the exact same thing as you. You've both had your children taken from you. You're both going crazy with fear, and yet, instead of working together, you use every opportunity to lash out at each other!"

"I'll die before I join forces with that woman," she shot back. "And you can believe me when I say that when Dimitri's plane takes off for England tonight, I will be on it." She fought back new tears, "Someone has to make sure our children are the top priority in all of this madness."

_Grounds of Wildwind Estate_,

Dimitri walked away from the house, along the path that would take him away from the main gates as well, away from where the reporters waited, and towards the forested area of the grounds. It was still light enough outside that he could see where he was going. What he didn't expect to see was that someone else had the same idea as him.

He spotted Alex sitting on a fallen tree trunk, near the pond.

"Hey, what are you doing out here? I though you were going upstairs to pack?"

She turned to him, not the least surprised to see him here. "It's done. I figure we'd only need some essentials. Did you tell Frye that we were leaving?"

Dimitri noticed she wasn't wearing a jacket, so he took off his own and draped it over her shoulders as he sat down next to her. "Aren't you cold?" he asked her.

"It feels like t-shirt weather, after northern Canada."

"I did tell Frye. He wasn't too pleased, to put it mildly. Neither was Erica…in fact she's insisting on coming along."

Alex shrugged her shoulders, "I suppose it's her right. I know if I were in her place I wouldn't let you go without taking me along either."

"Erica said some things just now…they're making want to tell you to stop defending her. She doesn't deserve it," Dimitri mumbled, still irritated with her.

Alex leaned her head against his shoulder, "I know Erica can't stand me, and I'd be lying if I said the feeling wasn't mutual, but I do know she loves her daughter very much. I know she'd go to the ends of the earth for Bianca, as I would for Max."

Dimitri pulled her towards him, "I love you so much, if anything were to happen to you…"

A dark, ominous feeling had crept into the pit of his stomach. It reminded him of the feelings he used to have not so long ago, after Alex disappeared. Feelings he couldn't explain and that had frightened him with their intensity.

He watched a pair of swans clumsily walk out of the pond onto dry land, one following the other.

The feeling intensified, making him shiver.

Alex looked up at him. "Are you cold? Take your jacket back…"

Dimitri shook his head, "No, I'm fine. Keep it on."

He couldn't shake the feeling and it terrified him, because he knew it was a warning. He also knew it was about Alex. The feelings always were. He sensed that there was something she wasn't telling him. As much as Dimitri hated them, he also trusted these strange feelings. They had never failed him.

"Promise me you'll be careful when we go to England?"

Alex took one his hands into hers. "Nothing is going to happen to me," she said softly, "As long as we find our son, everything will be just fine."

'It has to be,' Dimitri thought, resting his free hand on her stomach, letting it rise and fall with the rhythm of her breath.

_Cardiff, Wales_

"This is the final stop in our tour," Charlotte announced proudly as she took Bianca into the brand new, state of the art gymnasium at Brynn Wydd.

Bianca watched as five agents, four men and one woman, engaged in what looked like an exotic, fighting dance.

"Do you know any martial arts?" Charlotte asked her.

Bianca shook her head and smirked, "I wanted to learn karate but my mother made me take ballet instead."

Charlotte smiled, "I made Alexandra learn both, but all she ever wanted to do was to ride horses and fix up animals with broken limbs." She pointed to the agents on the floor. "This is a combination of Thai kickboxing and kung-fu. If you were to join me at Brynn Wydd, I would make sure you would learn both, and no one would ever be able to touch you again. If you didn't want them to, that is."

Both of them sat down and watched the agents practice their moves.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Charlotte pointed out, meaning the lone female on the floor, an oriental woman who moved like she had spent a lifetime studying various martial arts. "I don't have many female agents," she explained to Bianca. "Unfortunately the realities of working in this business are still unappealing to most women. It requires not only physical strength but also emotional fortitude and a keen mind."

Bianca wondered if Charlotte's opinion of her would change if she knew about her sexual orientation. 'There's only one way to find out,' she thought. "Do you know that I'm gay?" she asked her. She was surprised by her boldness. She wasn't by nature particularly bold or outspoken, but there was something about Charlotte Devane that brought it out in her.

"Do I know?" Charlotte smiled, " Of course, I know, how could I not know?"

Bianca blushed. "Is it that obvious?"

This time Charlotte moved closer, and she raised her hand to stroke Bianca's cheek. "To certain people it's the most obvious thing in the world."

Bianca's eyes widened at the realization of what Charlotte was saying. "Are you…?"

Charlotte smiled knowingly. "Of course I am."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter XVII **

_Padre oh padre  
Hai gia sentito  
Cosa mi dice  
E che vuol far'? _

_Father oh father  
Have you heard  
What he said  
And what he will do? _

_30,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, en route to the United Kingdom_

Dimitri Marick stared out the window of his Lear Jet, watching the sunset over the ocean, knowing that when it would rise again, he would be one step closer to finding his son.

Shawn O'Malley sat down next to him, interrupting his train of thought. He spread open a map of Cardiff and its surroundings and placed it on the table in front of them, showing it to Dimitri.

"Here," he pointed to a hilly rural area, with only two winding roads to mark a trace of civilization. "My sources have pointed out four suspicious building complexes. All four are listed under company names and are surrounded by extensive security systems. I've asked one of my old buddies in the CIA monitor them on their spy satellites, and he's let me know that this one here," O'Malley pointed to the one furthest west. "Has seen over two dozen sedans with government plates enter and leave the grounds in the past week alone. I think this one's the main compound."

"If that building is indeed Charlotte's new base of operations, what do we do then?" Dimitri asked.

O'Malley frowned, "Back in Pine Valley, Frye and his team are working on obtaining the equivalent of what you would call a search warrant, from Scotland Yard. Before then there's nothing I can do…at least not officially."

Dimitri frowned, "If Charlotte wields only half as much power as she did before her 'death', it means we'll never obtain a search warrant. In fact, the higher ups in Scotland Yard will probably alert her to let her know we're here."

O'Malley agreed. "I agree with you. What that means is that we might not have the law on our side."

"Are you willing to work outside of the law to get my son back?" Dimitri asked him.

O'Malley didn't hesitate, "Mr. Marick, that boy was under the protection ofmy men when he was kidnapped, I will do _whatever_ it takes to get him back to you."

"Thank you."

"As soon as we arrive in Swansea, I'll start to set up surveillance on this compound. I have two men in Cardiff that are ready to await my orders."

"Good…and one more thing, Shawn. I don't want you to mention anything we've just discussed with my wife, no matter what she says or how strongly she insists. Under no circumstances are you to tell her the location of that compound. Is that clear?"

"Of course, sir." O'Malley picked up the phone to call his men in Cardiff and Dimitri stepped outside the walled partition into the main cabin of the plane. The jet could accommodate twelve people comfortably, and with only himself, Alex, the pilot and co-pilot, O'Malley, Erica and David, there was ample room for everyone. The main cabin had two seating areas, and at the rear, there was a fold down queen size bed in a separately partitioned area, as well as a bathroom and shower.

Alex was on another phone arranging for their rental cars in Swansea, Erica was lying on the sofa, half asleep, and David Hayward sat in the chair next to her, reading a magazine. Hayward had offered to come along, at the last minute, shortly before they left Wildwind, after Dimitri had made one final, futile plea to Erica to remain in Pine Valley.

"Why don't I come along, and I'll make sure you won't have to worry about Erica, while you search for Max and Bianca," David had suggested.

"That is _not_ necessary," Erica had protested, in front of both of them.

However, to Dimitri the idea held a certain appeal. As much as he didn't enjoy Hayward's company, he _was _good at keeping Erica calm.

So here he was.

Edmund had wanted to join them as well but Dimitri convinced him he needed someone back at Wildwind to handle both the press and the local police.

Alex hung up the phone, "It's done. I've got us three cars. They'll be at the airport when we arrive."

Dimitri nodded, "Good." He massaged the back of his head, noticing that the altitude had increased its soreness. "I'm going to try to get some sleep at the back before we arrive. Why don't you join me?"

"I will, in a moment. First I want to give Heidi a call."

Dimitri walked to the rear of the cabin and closed the partition that divided the bedroom area from the rest of it.

When Alex finished her phone call, she was about to join him, but David grabbed her arm as she moved down the plane.

"Have you told him yet?" he asked.

Alex turned around to make sure Erica Kane was asleep, "No, I haven't."

David frowned, "Why not? It's better that he knows."

"I'll tell him when we find Max. What does it matter when I tell him?"

"He should know, Alex. You _know_ he should. It changes things."

"No, it doesn't," she protested, quicker than she intended. "It doesn't change anything."

"Alex, being the only person that knows makes me… uneasy," David added. "It makes me feel somehow… responsible Just because you didn't need a blood transfusion doesn't mean you have a clean bill of health. You're supposed to take extra care of yourself right now, not jet halfway around the world chasing kidnappers. There's no way Dimitri would have let you come along if he knew."

"Dimitri doesn't give me orders when it comes to Max…or when it comes to anything for that matter," she told him, irritated now that David, of all people, had to be the one who knew. "I'm going to join him in the back," she told him, no longer entirely comfortable with where this conversation was headed.

"Evading the subject isn't going to make it go away," David reminded her, as she walked down the cabin. His voice was loud enough to stir Erica from her sleep.

"What are you arguing about?" she asked, yawning.

"It's nothing, I'm sorry I woke you. You should try and go back to sleep, it'll be another five hours or so before we arrive."

She tried hard to stifle another yawn, "David…?"

"What is it, Erica?"

"Will you come sit next to me?"

He moved to the sofa where she sat and put his arms around her, noticing for the first time the toll the past few days had taken. There were dark circles under her eyes, her hair was messy and her clothes were rumpled, a stark contrast to the perfectly coiffed and attired Erica Kane he knew so well. It was testament to how deeply this was affecting her. "I've got a good feeling about this," he told her, "I think we're going to find Bianca and bring her back home with us."

"I just pray that no one's hurt her, David. She's suffered enough in her young life."

"It's made her tough, Erica and that's a good thing. She's strong and she'll make it through this. I hope she's able to look after Max, wherever she is."

She took some comfort in his words and began to relax. "He's just a little boy, isn't he?" Erica admitted. "Dimitri must be going out of his mind with worry."

"He's going to put his fears into action and that's what's going to bring back Max and Bianca."

David's voice was low enough the she felt herself nodding off again. She thought she heard him say something else. Something about the celebration they'd have once Bianca was back. With that thought, she fell back asleep.

In the rear of the plane, Alex thought Dimitri too was asleep until she moved to lie down next him, and he turned around to face her. "Come lie down with me."

Alex noticed there was a new stain of blood on the bandage on his head. "Have you had someone take a look at this?" she asked him seeing that the bandage was coming loose.

"Stella gave me a hand in bandaging it up."

"Stella?" she looked at him incredulously. "Dimitri, you could have had a concussion! You should've seen a doctor."

He pulled her towards him, "I don't care about that…it doesn't matter. Nothing matters right now, except for our son."

Alex got up to fetch the first aid kit they stored in one of the overhead bins. "It matters to _me_. _You_ matter to me."

She carefully removed the old, bloodied bandage and applied a new one. "There, that's better, until we can do something proper." She cupped her hands around his head and kissed his forehead. She let the kiss linger because she needed to feel the warmth of his closeness.

"Thank you," he told her, as grateful for her touch as she was for its intimacy. "Alex…when we arrive in Swansea, I don't want you to drive to Brynn Wydd alone to visit Heidi."

"Why not? I'll drive to Brynn Wydd to see Heidi and afterwards I'll meet up with you and the others in Cardiff. By then I'm sure Shawn will have Charlotte pinned down. We don't have time to waste."

"I don't want you going anywhere alone in Wales," he said softly.

"Don't be ridiculous, Dimitri. I'll be gone less than a day before I meet up with you again. I don't want to deprive Shawn of any manpower by taking one of his men. And please don't suggest I go with David. I don't need a babysitter, and besides you need him around to control Erica."

"I was thinking Erica should go with you."

"What?" Alex gave him a push, not sure whether he was joking or not. "Please tell me you're kidding. Not Erica."

"If we don't have to worry about Erica and you, I can get all of us, including David, to focus on nothing but getting close to Charlotte."

"Focusing all your resources on getting into her compound I can agree with, but once you get to that point, I want to be there, at your side."

"Oh no, Alex," Dimitri said vehemently, shaking his head. "You're _not_ going to come into her compound with us. In fact, I don't want you anywhere near when we do."

"Dimitri…she's dangerous! I won't let you do this alone."

But Dimitri was adamant. "If you fight me on this, Alex, I swear I'll make the pilot turn this plane around as soon as we land, with you on it."

"I spent seven years working as one of Charlotte's agents," she tried to reason. "Sharp shooting, target practice, martial arts, hand to hand combat, you name it; these were things I trained for on a daily basis! You can't afford not to let me come with you. Our _son_ can't afford it!"

"I don't care if you have the training of a Navy Seal, you're _not_ helping us storm her compound! That's final."

"Since when do you tell me what I can and can't do?" she shot back angrily. "Don't you dare deprive our son of every chance, of every pair of hands, we have to free him, because you've decided I need to be shielded like some...child! I held my own against Charlotte for _seven years_, and I'm not about to start hiding in fear now!"

Dimitri's anger rose along with hers, "Dammit, Alex! Has it ever occurred to you that maybe this is_ exactly_ what Charlotte had in mind? To take Max because she knew it would make you run straight into her trap? And once you're there she'll finish off what she started a few months ago? Did you think for one moment that I'd stand by and let that happen? I'd rather have you angry with me for the rest of my life! Have you forgotten what that woman did to you? What she's capable of?"

"How can I?" she asked bitterly. "When she's still doing it, at this very moment by holding our son hostage. If I do see her again, it's not _my_ life you have to fear for. Trust me."

"I don't care, it's not going to happen. Nothing you say will change my mind, and I meant what I said about making you fly back on your own…"

She stood up angrily, hating that she was crying again. "Try it Dimitri. Just try it."

"Alex," he grabbed her arm before she had a chance to walk away, "Don't go…not like this. I don't want to hurt you. You've got to understand that you're not thinking rationally right now."

She shot him an icy look, "Oh, but _you_ are?"

"I'm trying…"he said softly, trying to pull her towards him, but she slipped her hand out of his.

Alex stood up and looked outside. Ice crystals had formed along the windows of the plane, complementing the streamlined clouds in the distance. She stared at the night sky for several long moments before she finally turned to him. "Fine, Dimitri. You and O'Malley go to her compound alone. Go, and bring our son back."

"Darling, come here…" he tried once more. She saw relief in his face that she wasn't putting up more of a fight. But her concession to his bullheadedness hadn't lessened her anger.

As if her pride wasn't enough of a deterrent to prevent her from joining him, Alex was suddenly hit by a wave of nausea and she quickly made a beeline for the bathroom. 'Morning sickness,' she thought glumly. Whether or not it was actually morning didn't matter. It was the baby's way of reminding her not to forget him, or her. Once inside the tiny bathroom, she was about to throw up but she steeled herself against the sink and fought back the urge. She heard Dimitri knocking on the door, "Alex, is something wrong?"

She turned on the shower faucet, in the hopes that it would make him go away, and sat down on the cover of the toilet seat.

As she did, she heard Max's voice.

_How can you know all that? does your brain have more cells than mine? _

_I'll call Dad and he'll get one of his swords and protect us. _

_Did you know Dad used to be a chess champion in Hungary? _

_It's too late Mum, it's too late now._

Alex closed her eyes and then she could see him standing next to her, looking at her with his lopsided grin. She reached out to run her fingers through his thick, messy hair. Her hand reached out into the empty space, wishing she could will him here.

"_Did you forget about me, Mum?"_ his image asked her.

"Oh baby, no…of course not. I could never forget about you, I'll find you Max. I don't care what it takes, I'll find you, my little Count."

Tears fell down her face again.

"Alex!" Dimitri knocked on the door again, "Sweetheart, tell me you're alright, please!"

Alex wiped the tears from her face and took a look in the mirror before stepping outside. "I'm fine."

"You're crying." Of course he would notice. He noticed everything.

"Alex, don't shut me out now. Don't let Charlotte do this to us…"

She didn't give him the satisfaction of a reply. Instead she went to lie down on the bed, closed her eyes, wishing she could shut out his voice as easily.

It was hard to turn down his offer of comfort. He'd always been the only one who _could _comfort her. But at the same time her anger wouldn't let her give in to her wishes.

She felt his fingers, gently moving her hair out of her face.

"I love you," he whispered, his lips brushing against her neck.

It was the last thing she felt before she fell asleep.

_Near Cardiff, Wales_

Cesar Faison stood inside Charlotte Devane's communications room and observed Maximilian Marick on the TV monitor.

Charlotte smiled as she watched Faison, "You're lucky to get this rare viewing. Usually he hides underneath the bedcovers."

Faison frowned as he looked at the boy, "He's so dark. Look at that thick black hair and those dark eyebrows. Who's the father?"

"Dimitri Marick. He's Hungarian."

"_The_ Dimitri Marick?"

"Yes." Charlotte nodded, "Why? Do you know him?"

"Of course I know him. Who doesn't know of Marick Diamonds? He's the man who put Canadian diamonds on the world map. Aside from his diamond mine he also owns a casino in Monte Carlo, one of the largest charitable research organizations in the world…the list goes on. His assets are worth _billions_." Faison was smiling now. "Are you _sure_ you don't want to hold him for ransom?"

"Don't insult me," Charlotte sneered. "I don't need money."

"I heard Dimitri Marick's wife died," Faison pointed out, his eyes still on the TV screen. "I also heard that she's a world renowned medical researcher."

"I suppose," Charlotte shrugged. "And no, she didn't die, my dear. She _'disappeared'_."

Charlotte observed Faison and wondered what any woman would possibly see in him. Charlotte was hard pressed to find any man attractive but there were few she found as outright repulsive as Cesar Faison. She looked at his sallow, pockmarked skin, his thin shoulder length gray hair and cigarette stained fingers, and for a brief second she felt a twinge of guilt for sending Max away with this man. 'He's so appalling,' she thought, 'There's no other way to describe him, and as if all his physical features weren't unattractive enough, he speaks with a thick, grating accent.'

"Tell me about Alexandra," Faison demanded, his eyes glued to the TV screen.

"There's not much to tell. She's a kinder, gentler version of Anna. And, older…by a few minutes. It's why I took her instead of Anna, because they say the first born has a greater chance of having leadership qualities." Charlotte couldn't help a bitter laugh, "Just goes to show how much I know. I stole the wrong bloody baby, Cesar! I wanted the one who would one day run this organization for me. Instead, I got the one who wanted to cure rare diseases. And then, as if someone decided to rub my failure in my face, the _other_ girl turns out to be a spy and a police commissioner, as if to say, 'Look, this is what you could have had, had you taken the right baby!' God, it's infuriating, Cesar."

For the first time since his arrival, Cesar tore his eyes from the TV screen and managed a chuckle, "So, you ended up with a doctor. A brilliant, groundbreaking medical researcher, Charlotte. Most parents would show at least a _little_ pride."

Charlotte didn't appreciate his laughter, "She's weak. Weak, pathetic and ungrateful. I hate her as much as I've ever hated anyone in my life."

Faison was about to light a cigarette but Charlotte stopped him, "Not in here." She handed him a picture of Alex. "This is from a press conference covering some stem cell research breakthrough in Montreal."

Faison dropped the cigarette he was holding when he saw the picture, his voice lowering itself an octave deeper than it already was, shocked at what he was seeing. "This is incredible. She looks _exactly_ like Anna. Or I should say the way Anna _would_ look, were she still alive today."

"That's why they call them _identical_ twins."

"I want to see her in person. I want to know if her voice…her touch…if it's like Anna." He sat down on one of her swivel chairs, as if suddenly tired and old. "I still miss her so much, Charlotte."

"I don't understand you, Cesar. You order to have the woman killed, and then you mourn her like a lost wife. I've met some strange people during my years in this business, but you…take the cake."

"I loved Anna, as much as any man ever loved a woman. I had my reasons for doing what I did. You would never understand, Charlotte."

"Look," Charlotte turned her eyes back to the TV screen, "I don't care what you do, in regards to Alexandra. The only thing that matters to me is that she never _ever_ finds her son, that's the only part of the bargain I expect you to keep. I want her to spend the rest of her life trying to find him. Not having her son in her life will kill her. It will destroy her marriage and she won't be able to practice medicine anymore. In fact, I'd stake money that even her sanity won't last long. It'll be like killing her a little bit every single day, and I won't even have to lift a finger."

"To think, you call me strange." Faison looked at her with disgust. "Don't worry, Charlotte. She'll never find the boy. When I choose to meet Alexandra it will be far away from little Max. I'm good for my word. Everyone in this business knows that."

"Good," Charlotte replied. "Then it's time to take Max away from Brynn Wydd."

She picked up her cane and moved to open the door, calling for the Nigel to assist her in retrieving the boy.

"One more thing, Charlotte…"

"What?"

"Thank you."

"Thank you for what?"

"For bringing the woman I loved back into my life."

'She's not Anna, you freak,' Charlotte thought, but she stopped just short of voicing her thoughts aloud. "You're welcome, Cesar," was what she said instead. "The pleasure is all mine."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter XVIII **

_Con un cavallo  
Vanno avanti  
In questa grande  
Oscurita _

_With a horse  
They progress  
Through this immense  
Darkness _

_Driving towards the town of Brynn Wydd, Wales_

"I can't believe Dimitri talked me into this," Erica exclaimed, breaking the uncomfortable silence. She was sitting in the passenger's seat of the black Audi that Alex was driving towards the town of Brynn Wydd. It was raining lightly and there was little traffic on the narrow, winding roads that were leading them to their destination.

"He talked you into this the same way he talked _me_ into this. It makes sense for us to let O'Malley and his men, as well as David and Dimitri, focus on getting to Charlotte without us getting in the way," Alex told her without taking her eyes off the road. To Erica she sounded like she was trying to convince herself.

"If that was their plan, I might as well have stayed in a hotel in Swansea, or in Pine Valley for that matter."

"You'll get no argument from me there," Alex mumbled.

Erica watched as Alex took the next corner more sharply than she should have, forcing the car into a skid along the wet road.

"For God's sake, slow down!" Erica yelled, as she grabbed the dashboard to stop herself from flying forward. The brakes locked and Erica was certain they were going to crash, until she felt the car tremble under the powerful roar of the its 8-cylinder engine, allowing the tires to get a grip on the wet pavement. At the same time Alex pushed down on the gas pedal, sending the vehicle flying back out onto the street.

Erica watched in disbelief as Alex's lips curled into a smile, as if she was remembering something that amused her.

"You're insane," she whispered. Could she possibly be _enjoying_ this?

The smile on Alex's face faded and she turned to look at her, mildly apologetic. "I'm sorry. I took that turn too fast."

"You're taking_ every_ turn too fast!" Erica shot back. "Are you _trying_ to get us killed?"

"Look, I said, I'm sorry."

"I'd believe it if you actually were."

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

"Slow down maybe?"

She saw Alex taking a deep breath, before releasing the gas pedal. "Fine."

Erica exhaled as the car finally slowed down. Her nerves were already rattled and it seemed like Alex took pleasure in watching them disintegrate even further. It was awful and sadistic and she wanted to tell her as much, but she bit her tongue for fear that it would make her speed up again. Alex wasn't entirely stable, Erica was convinced of it, and she made a mental note to tell Dimitri as much.

Her week kept getting worse, with every passing moment. 'Why I am I in this car with this woman? This same woman who came back from the dead only so she could take away my last chance at happiness with Dimitri? How could I have let them convince me this was the best idea?' she thought.

"Happy?"

Erica wanted to slap Alex. "I'd be happier if you let me drive."

"You don't know these roads."

"You could tell me where to go."

"That would require some sort of co-operation wouldn't it? Could you handle that level of civility? "

This time Erica couldn't hold back her indignation. "I can't believe what Dimitri sees in you," she seethed, "Does he even know how you treat others when he's not around? Do you ever wonder how much simpler his life would be without all the grief you brought into it with your sordid past?"

Alex's cheeks flushed red and for the second she turned her gaze away from the road Erica could see the sting her words had left in her face.

She saw Alex tighten her lips but she said nothing. It was cruel thing to say and Erica fully expected her to come back with something equally accusatory. Instead she was throwing them both back into their uncomfortable silence.

The silence suddenly made Erica remorseful. David had been right, they really_ were_ acting like children, instead of two parents going through their worst nightmares together. Two parents who should be putting up a united front. Now of all times.

Contrary to speeding up again, which Erica expected, Alex leaned back in the seat and calmly maneuvered the car around another hairpin turn. Observing her restraint almost made Erica understand what Dimitri might see in her. There was something to be said for her bullheaded strength. While the world fell apart around her, Alex Marick kept her icy cool, and if she ever did let her guard down for any man, Erica had no doubts he'd be flattered. Especially after she'd already been Dimitri's saviour, tackling and ultimately curing his near-fatal illness, while keeping it all from his family simply because he asked her to. And only recently, she'd nearly lost her life to keep him from the madness of Charlotte Devane.

Erica couldn't blame Dimitri for wanting to be her hero now.

Her mind drifted back to that day in Wales. The day he found Alex again. The day she lost Dimitri.

_I can't compete with that, can I?_

_It was never a competition, Erica._

So she wasn't Alexandra Devane, but she certainly could take the high road too.

The rain pounded on their windows now, and Alex turned up the speed on the windshield wipers. They flew back and forth across their line of vision, two blurry, black batons.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that," Erica condeded. "It was a terrible thing to say."

Alex offered her a lop-sided smile. She reminded Erica of Max when she did that. "We don't exactly bring out the best in each other, do we?"

"I'm so angry…at everything that's happened."

"I know. You don't have to explain."

This time Alex didn't let the uneasy silence linger. "Why don't you recline the seat and rest until we're there?"

Erica wanted to tell her that in this awful weather she might need a second pair of eyes on the road. But she didn't. Alex Marick would probably die before she'd accept help from her. However miniscule it may be. "I think I will," Erica told her. She pushed the reclining button and closed her eyes.

She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep, but she was tired enough that her eyes stung and she was grateful for the respite.

'We're going to have the biggest celebration Pine Valley has ever seen, when we find you, my sweet Bianca,' she thought, picturing the event in her mind. 'Maybe I'll even invite Alex…'

The absurdity of _that_ thought left a weak smile on her face.

_Near Cardiff, Wales_

Bianca Montgomery sat in her windowless room, trying to read one of the books she had started two days ago but she was unable to absorb a single sentence. She had to start every paragraph over again, as her mind wouldn't focus enough to retain a single thought. After several attempts, she gave up and threw down the book in frustration.

'This is absurd,' she thought. 'Less than a week ago I was a normal college student and my biggest problem was whether I'd finish my essay on the Treaty of Versailles on time. And now…' She allowed herself a smile. 'Well, maybe 'normal' is stretching it.' She had never really felt 'normal.'

Her mind drifted back to the gymnasium, when Charlotte's index finger had caressed her cheek. It was such a simple gesture, really. And yet it had invoked such an intense reaction inside her, she had been embarassed and she blushed when she thought of it now. Especially given that Charlotte had gone no further and made no move to touch her again.

Her disappointment, made Bianca feel even worse. It wasn't something she _should_ want. She knew that much. Yet it didn't change the way she felt.

For the first time ever, her mind and her heart were pulling her into two vastly different directions, and it was a turmoil unlike any she'd ever felt before.

She had never met a woman like Charlotte Devane.

She was cruel and cold. Harsh and strong. Yet she had an aura of power that absolutely fascinated Bianca. All she had to was close her eyes and think of her touch, and it made Bianca smile.

She knew better than to be flattered by Charlotte's attention. Yet she couldn't help it. Being around Charlotte gave her a confidence she had never felt before. Simply being in the same room as her, made Bianca feel invincible.

'There is nothing in the world that she cannot do,' Bianca thought. She knew very well, that it was her fascination with Charlotte Devane that prevented her from focusing on the book. It was a fascination that was fast becoming all consuming and that too made her feel guilty.

'No one has ever looked at me the way she does,' Bianca realized, getting up to pour herself a glass of water.

Bianca knew that her mother loved her deeply, as did the father she had lost much too soon, but both of them, especially her mother, had always made her feel as though, she wasn't the daughter they had hoped she would be. 'I know Mom loves me,' she thought, 'But how many times have I wondered how much more she might loved me had I not been gay.' And here was this woman, this stranger, who had seen her not as a pariah, not as someone to be liked _in spite_ of her sexuality, but maybe...because of it.

Her greatest aspiration in the world of Erica Kane had always been acceptance, and here in the world of Charlotte Devane, she sensed that she might be so much more than merely accepted. She wondered what it would be like to be someone who would truly make a difference. Someone whose actions might affect the entire world!

Bianca tried to push the thoughts from her mind, reminding herself how she had ended up here.

'She knocked me out and kidnapped me,' she reminded herself and suddenly realized that she had no idea what had happened to Dimitri that night. They would have had to fight him before they could take her and Max. Was it possible he was hurt? Or maybe...

Biance brushed the thought from her mind, making a note to ask Charlotte about Dimitri as soon as she got the chance.

'And what about Max?' she wondered. 'Did Charlotte really return him? Is back with his parents in Pine Valley?'

Bianca couldn't ever remember feeling as confused as she did now, and she had to force herself to think clearly. 'I'll wait and see what her reaction is when I demand to call my mother.That will tell me how sincere Charlotte is.'

She looked at the hardcover book she had thrown on the floor, and picked it back up, deciding to make one more effort to focus her mind on its contents.

_Brynn Wydd, Wales_

After dropping Erica off at the only pub in the village of Brynn Wydd and parking her car, Alex headed toward the butcher shop, on top of which Heidi lived. It was still raining and she stood underneath her umbrella, staring at the 'Sorry. We are closed' sign that hung in the shop window.

Since the kindapping, Alex had been so consumed with thoughts of Max, she'd barely digested the news of Heidi's own tragedy. Only now that she stood here, in front of her best friend's home did it sink in; what Heidi have gone through in the last few days. The guilt hit her, along with the realization. 'It's because of my association with Charlotte that Philip was killed...I'm the reason my best friend lost her husband.'

'I can't do this…' Alex thought, her hands shaking, 'I can't face her…' Although she raised her hand to knock on the door, she couldn't actually do it. The rain kept pounding her umbrella as she stared at the shop window. Because of it, she barely heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs.

Heidi opened the door and threw her arms around Alex before she had a chance to say anything.

"Oh Alex...I'm so glad you came…it means so much to me."

The unexpected hug made her realize how much she missed the companionship of this woman, who, more than seven years ago, had become her friend in the most unlikely of circumstances.

She had been searching for a nanny then, frustrated because no young woman with any sort of decent credentials and references had wanted to live in the utter isolation of the Welsh countryside. And then Alex had overheard a placement agency receptionist speaking about a young Swiss woman who was about to leave them because she couldn't stand the noise and chaos of London compared to the quiet rural life she was used to in the Alps.

Alex had jumped at the chance to meet her and had been shocked when she first saw the young woman in person, shortly before Max's birth. Heidi towered over her. Literally. She was big, in every sense of the word, but in spite of her size, she'd been painfully shy when they first met. She had thick curly, blond hair and the warmest pair of blue eyes Alex had ever seen. Her English was slow and meticulous, as if she measured every word with Swiss precision. And when Alex had reluctantly told her how isolated her rural cottage home was, the young woman seemed almost relieved.

From the day he was born, Heidi had loved Max as much as if he were her own son, and Alex firmly believed that Heidi was largely responsible for turning Max into the gentle, happy child he was. Heidi had only signed a one-year contract as an au-pair, but in the end she had stayed on for over six, living with her all but the last of these years. This was when she had met her husband Philip and moved to live with him. During the time that Heidi was with her and Max, the three of them had become as much of a family as it was possible to be, given the circumstances.

Alex and Heidi were as different as night and day, from their looks to their temperament, to their backgrounds and education. They had virtually nothing in common, and yet there was no one with whom Alex felt as comfortable as she did with Heidi. And, with the exception of Dimitri, no one knew her as well as Heidi did.

"I'm so sorry about Philip," she managed when Heidi finally let go of her.

Heidi wiped away tears, "I know. I miss him so much, Alex. I never thought it could hurt this much...to lose someone you love." She must have seen the guilt in her eyes and she stepped back, putting her hands on Alex's shoulder. "Please don't think this is your fault, Alex. Please promise me you won't ever think that?"

Alex nodded, "It is..."

"No, it's not," Heidi chided her. "I couldn't stand it if you thought that." Her English was so good now that even her accent was hard to detect.

Heidi grinned as she took a look at Alex, "Look at you, you're dressed all in black! Philip used to joke with me about your clothing, saying it was as serious as you, and that I should adjust one of my dresses and give it to you. That you would look so pretty in a nice floral print."

The suggestion made Alex grin too, "I thought, you know…for the memorial service…"

Heidi put her arms around her as they made their way upstairs together, "Philip loved colour. Look at the wallpaper, Alex. Have you ever seen anything brighter? I'm going to wear my most colourful dress for the service today, because I know wherever he is, Philip will look down and smile when he sees me."

Heidi made Alex sit down on her paisley sofa, and brought her a cup of tea and a large, raisin scone. "We've some time before we have to go to the church. Tell me about Max. Do you have any news?"

Alex told her what little she knew, including that she was certain that Charlotte's new operations weren't far from Cardiff.

"He's in my prayers every night Alex. I'm sure you'll get him back."

"Dimitri's doing everything he can. So is our security detail." Alex marveled at how calm Heidi was, sitting next to her, drinking her tea. Between the two of them, she had always been the old soul, somehow infinitely wiser than Alex was, even though she was nearly half her age. She looked almost serene now, in her colourful dress, a tide of blonde curly hair cascading down along its sides.

"You and Max, you always had such an amazing bond. Nothing can break that, Alex." She raised one of her hands and placed it on her stomach, "I'm starting to understand what it feels like to connect with a living being inside of you. It's so incredible, Alex…"

Alex smiled at her, knowing if anyone was ever born to be a mother, it was Heidi.

Heidi went on, "To think that there is a part of Philip, growing inside if me… the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away."

The words rattled Alex. "What did you say?"

"God gave me this miracle just before he took away my husband…he may have taken Philip, but He gave me a part of him that will live on."

"You don't believe that, Heidi. Those are tired clichés that we tell ourselves to justify things which can't be justified," Alex said angrily. "This baby deserved a father, as much as any baby does and you deserved to have Philip here by your side to watch him grow up."

Heidi seemed taken aback, "Alex, look...because I lost Philip, doesn't mean I won't be grateful for this baby. God works in ways that we don't understand."

It was yet another thing they didn't have in common. Heidi's faith had always been unwavering, while Alex's was anything but. "There's nothing mysterious or divine about Philip's death. It was cruel and unjust and Charlotte deserves to pay dearly for what she's done…"

Heidi set down her cup and took Alex's hand in hers, "You're so angry Alex, it scares me. This anger won't help you find Max. Maybe you're right, maybe I _am_ telling myself things to make me feel better…and maybe I'm an idiot for believing it, but I _do_ believe it. Even your anger and your reasoning won't change that."

The hurt expression on Heidi's face immediately flooded Alex with regret. She had no right to steamroll over Heidi's faith just because she didn't share it. How could someone much younger than herself be so much more forgiving? "I'm sorry...I don't know what came over me. I have no right... you're not wrong to believe what you believe. I'm sorry Heidi."

"Hey," Heidi's glance told her that their friendship was much deeper than a handful of words spoken in anger. "You don't have to apologize for what you believe either."

She smiled Max's lopsided smile, "I do for trying to convert you."

"I think..." Heidi said softly. "There's something else you're not telling me. Something that has to do with your anger."

Alex said nothing.

Heidi's eyes were full of kindness, "You forget we lived together for almost seven years. I know you so very well." She held out her hand for Alex to grasp, letting her know she wasn't going to press her for more. "I know you'll tell me when you are ready. Come, we should go now, Philip is waiting for us."

_Near Cardiff, Wales_

Charlotte was amused by Bianca's request.

"So you want to phone your mother?" She sat down in the desk chair of Bianca's room, watching the young woman, soaking in her every feature, as though she were an enraptured art student eyeing a Monet for the first time.

Bianca nodded, "If you're serious about me trusting you, you won't treat me like a prisoner. I have to let my mother know I'm alright. It kills me to think that she must be going crazy worrying about me."

"You're a good daughter, Bianca. I admire that, but you have to understand I'm taking a leap of faith by even allowing you to see what I've let you see. I still don't know whether I can trust you."

"I also have to be able to trust _you_," she countered.

"If I let you call your mother she will demand to know where you are, how can you guarantee me that you won't tell her that?"

"But I don't even know where I am. All I know is that we're somewhere in Wales."

"How do I know you won't tell her anything that would be hurtful to my organization for that matter? As much as I _want_ to trust you, I have too much at stake to take that kind of a risk so soon." Her voice was as smooth as velvet when she spoke with Bianca, and she sensed the hold she was beginning to have over the young woman.'To think, with Alex I had to use drugs and force, this is almost too easy,' she thought

"Well then, it'll be the perfect test, as to whether you can trust me." Bianca knew that if Charlotte denied her the phone call, then nothing else she had been told was sincere either. 'It'll be a perfect test for me as well. To let me know that what you're saying is true,' she thought.

At first, Bianca thought her request would be denied, but then she saw Charlotte's lips broaden into a smile, "Alright, Bianca my dear, you shall have your wish. There is no phone in this room, but I will get you one."

Bianca returned her smile, surprised "Thank you."

Charlotte left the room and met with Nigel in the communications room.

"You're not serious, are you?" Nigel asked her in disbelief.

"There's no harm in it, she has no idea where she is…she can't give away anything of importance…"

"What about Max? What if she asks her mother about Max? She'll realize we never returned him, the way you said we did."

Charlotte laughed, "Do you seriously think Erica Kane will let Bianca get a word in edgewise? Once she hears her daughter's voice, Max will be the furthest thing from both their minds. Besides, we will set it up so we disconnect her the second she mentions anything we don't want her to."

Nigel eyed her skeptically, wondering where this obsession with her newest prize possession would lead them.

"Oh don't look, at me like that. If we deny her this request, she'll know I'm not sincere. Just set it up already, and don't worry or else your hair will go gray." She laughed at her words as she glanced at his nearly bald head.

"Yes, ma'am."

_Red Fox Tavern, Brynn Wydd, Wales_

Erica Kane wondered what was worse, sharing a rental car with Alex for a one-hour drive or sitting here in this rural pub, having dozens of eyes on her, as they gazed at her in relentless and unabashed curiosity.

'Hasn't anyone ever told you people it's not polite to stare?' she thought as she glared back at them.

As if the stares weren't doing enough to make her feel hopelessly out of place, there were whispers too, and some patrons went so far as to point fingers in her direction. In a pub filled with wool and tweed outfits, her designer clothing alone must have looked otherworldly, Erica thought, while fiddling with the zipper on her Prada purse. Trying to order a glass of Chardonnay from the bartender didn't help either. He had given her a blank stare followed by a puzzled, "_Wot_?"

"Oh, just give me whatever you have," she had told him and now she sat alone at one of the wooden tables, holding a huge glass of the darkest beer she had ever seen. It was foamless and lukewarm. 'Disgusting,' she thought as she took another reluctant sip. She wondered if what these locals ate and drank had something to do with why they looked so pale and pasty.

Not having eaten an actual meal in at least 24, Erica was starting to feel lightheaded. She was starving and struggling to find something familiar on the menu that wasn't fish and chips. The Queen's English really was a foreign language. 'What in the world is a banger?' she wondered. 'Maybe I'll try the haggis. At least it comes with a side of vegetables.'

'And what is taking Alex so long? I wouldn't put it past her to leave me here while she takes off for Cardiff alone. Won't David and Dimitri feel sorry for putting me up to this.'

She was trying to flag down the indifferent waitress when she heard the ringing of her cell phone from inside her purse.

Erica flipped it open and gasped in shock, when she heard the voice on the other end.

_"Bianca?"_


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter XIX **

_E il bambino  
Con occhi chiusi  
Lui non si muove  
Perso e gia _

_And the boy  
Eyes closed  
Doesn't move  
He's already lost_

_Red Fox Tavern, Brynn Wydd, Wales_

"Bianca?" Erica couldn't believe her ears. She held on to the phone with trembling hands. "Is that really you? Oh, my darling…where are you?"

"Mom, I'm calling to tell you I'm alright," Bianca said gently, "I don't want you to worry. I'm safe and no one's hurting me."

"Bianca, where is 'here'? Tell me where you are! Dimitri and I will come and get you out, you don't have to worry, just tell us where you are!" Erica's words poured out as she tried to listen for any telltale signs in her daughter's voice.

"Mom, you're not listening. I don't want you to come and get me, I just wanted you to know that I'm fine and that'll contact you again. I want you not to worry. Please promise you won't worry."

Bianca's voice seemed even and calm. She wasn't slurring her words as if drugged, and she didn't sound tense or afraid either. Still, what she said made no sense. Of course she wasn't alright if she was being held captive! "Bianca, my baby, what have they done to you? Are they making you say that?"

"No, Mom. I'm perfectly fine, no one's hurt me or drugged me. I just wanted to call you to let you know that."

"Bianca, tell them we'll pay whatever they want or do whatever they want, whatever, it doesn't matter how much!"

Erica noticed the patrons on the bar were staring at her even more so than before. There wasn't a single pair of eyes that were not on her as her voice grew louder. "Bianca, ask them what they want, tell them we'll pay!"

"Mom, nobody wants any ransom. I have to go now…"

"Bianca…no don't go! Bianca? _Bianca!!!"_

There was silence on the other end, and Erica looked around the pub frantically, hoping against hope that somehow her daughter would appear before her. She clutched the phone in desperation, not knowing what to do or say or who to notify of what had just happened.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alex entering the pub.

Alex watched Erica grasp the phone, her face was pale as a sheet. She ran towards her. "Erica, what's wrong?" she asked. "Did Dimitri call? Did they find out something?"

Erica shook her head, "No…not Dimitri." Her breathing was erratic now.

Alex sat down next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Erica, you're hyperventilating. Cup your hands over your mouth and lower your head, then take a deep breath. Slowly. Again…that's good, like that."

She watched, relieved, as some colour returned to her face, "Erica, tell me what happened?"

Erica stared at the cell phone in shock, still trying to comprehend the phone call. "Bianca called me," she said softly, taking another deep breath.

"What?" Now it was Alex who looked shocked, "What did she say, Erica?"

Erica stared blankly at Alex, "She said…she said she's fine, that I shouldn't worry…"

"And what about Max? What did she say about Max?" Alex demanded.

Erica stared at Alex, as if suddenly remembering Max. "Max…I…I don't know. She didn't say anything about Max…"

Alex's hand tightened on Erica's shoulder, "Didn't you ask?"

"I…all I could think about was Bianca…my poor baby."

"Did she sound alright?"

"She said she was…"

"Erica, how could you not ask about Max?" Alex covered her mouth with her hand, trying to comprehend what Erica was telling her. Erica had spoken with Max's captors and not even mentioned him. She felt as though someone had knocked the wind out of her. "Oh god, Erica…how could you not even ask…" Alex felt a ret, hot anger rise in the base of her throat. "Damn you."

"Bianca didn't say he was hurt, he must be fine," Erica tried to reason, her own defenses rising. "As if your first thought would have been Bianca, had it been Max on the other line!"

Alex clenched her teeth as she stood back up, "Did you ask _any_ questions? Did you even try to get her whereabouts out of her?"

"Of course I did," Erica shot back. "I'm not the complete idiot you always make me out to be."

"Then what did she…" Alex couldn't finish her sentence. A sudden sharp pain in her lower abdomen made her gasp. The sheer force of it made her double over and she was forced to sit down, lowering her head.

Erica brushed aside her hair and saw her face contorted in pain. "Alex, what's wrong?"

Alex bit her lip, so hard that she could feel the coppery taste of blood on her tongue. 'The baby,' she thought, 'The baby's telling me to calm down…I'm sorry, baby, but that's not possible. Not now.' She didn't have to be a pre-natal expert to figure that all this turmoil couldn't possibly be good for the baby and that it had every right to protest. She pushed Erica's hand off her shoulder, "Don't touch me."

"You're scaring me, Alex, you're white as a sheet! Are you ill? Should I call a doctor?"

Alex felt the pain subside, almost as quickly as it had hit her. "I'm fine. Give me the phone."

"What?"

"The phone, dammit! Give it to me."

Erica handed Alex the cell phone, "What are you doing?"

Alex picked it up and called the operator, "There has to be some way to trace the call."

"It's a cell phone, there's no way…"

"There's a way." She waited until the operator picked up. "I'm a field agent with level five clearance, I need your supervisor, right away, in order to trace a call."

Charlotte's agents had the same authority for obtaining otherwise classified information as any other security agency. They had legitimate government issued codes for emergency purposes. Not that Charlotte would ever suspect they would use it to track her down. Alex prayed the codes she knew by heart were still valid. "Alexandra Devane… Authorization code, 7768 Charlie, Delta, Lima. I'll repeat it for you…no, a cross street of the origin location of the call is sufficient, thank you." She pulled a pen from her purse, "That's perfect. Thank you."

"There's no such thing as an untraceable call," she told Erica. "I got a cross street of where it originated from. I'm certain it's near Cardiff."

Erica looked at her in amazement, "I can't believe what you just did. What now?"

Alex ignored her question, as she dialed Dimitri's number on Erica's phone, "It's me. I have a possible address." She read it aloud to him, "I'll meet you there in about an hour."

She also ignored Dimitri's protests and got up to leave the pub.

Erica ran after her, "Wait, I have to pay!" She threw down a handful of US dollar bills onto table, hoping no one would run after her and protest. "Wait for me!"

_Near Cardiff, Wales_

Dimitri threw down his phone angrily, rubbing his temples.

"What's the matter?" O'Malley asked.

"It's Alex. She knows where the compound is and she's going to meet us here in an hour."

"How in the world did she find out?"

Dimitri shrugged his shoulders, "Who knows?" He turned towards Hayward, who was grinning, "What's so funny?"

"You are. Even after all this time, you still underestimate Alex."

"Oh, and you know my wife so well, do you?"

David snickered. "I didn't say that. Do you mind if I borrow the phone, before you get all irritated?"

Dimitri threw it at him, "What for?"

"Hey, what happened to all that gratitude you had earlier, for me volunteering to come along? As for the phone, I need to call my girlfriend…"

Dimitri eyed him suspiciously, "I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

"There's so much you don't know about me, Dimitri."

David stepped outside the surveillance van, and dialed the number he already knew by heart. He heard Tina Sakhe's voice pick up, on the other end, "How's my favourite native Canadian nurse this morning?"

She yawned on the other end, "And how many native Canadian nurses do you know? Do you know what time it is here, Hayward?"

He glanced at his watch, "7:03am, local time. I know you just opened up and I wanted to say hi to my favourite girl, before she leaves the clinic and heads off for school…sorry Tina, I don't mean to break you heart here, but can you put Josie on for me?"

He heard her grumbling, as she called Josie's name.

"Doctor David, is that you?" he heard Josie asking.

"Of course, sweetheart, who else would bother you before you go to school? Did you do your homework last night?"

"Most of it."

He grinned, "Well, that's a start. How did you do on the math test?"

There was an unmistakable enthusiasm in her voice, "I got a B!"

"Well, that's pretty impressive…see what happens when you do your homework? Guess where I am, right now, Josie?"

There was a pause on the other end, before she answered, "Where? Tell me."

David smiled, at both her voice and the sun that was starting to break through the gray clouds, "Think of the Spice Girls, where do they come from?"

"You're in England! I saw their concert on TV!" she yelled excitedly, "Did you see Wembley Stadium? And Big Ben? Oh, I wish I was there too."

This time he laughed, "Yeah, I wish you were here too. Listen kid, I have to go, but give Tina a big kiss for me, so she doesn't forget me."

At those words, Josie laughed too, "I think she said she wants to forget you, but I don't."

"Good. Because I won't let you." David turned off the phone and smiled as he sat down on the gravel road, soaking in the sunshine while it lasted. 'How insane…' he thought, glancing at the sky. Two weeks ago, his greatest concern had been what means he would use to achieve his goal of becoming Chief of Staff at PVH. He had barely been on speaking terms with Alex, and now he was sitting beside a country road in Wales helping her and Dimitri find their kidnapped son, while wondering how a ten-year-old native girl in Canada was doing. 'Why do I care?' he thought, 'She's a cocky, precocious kid to whom I have no connections and whose life is world away from mine. Why in the world do I give a damn?'

Dimitri stepped out of the van, holding his hand over his eyes to shield them against the blinding sun, interrupting his thoughts, "David, can you come inside for a minute?"

Hayward followed him.

O'Malley and two of his local contacts were seated next to a video console and monitor. O'Malley pointed to a green Jaguar that exited the compound they were surveying, "That's it," told them. He stopped the tape that was on the monitor and paused the picture, zooming in on the windows of the vehicle. The camera revealed the face of a red haired woman. "Charlotte Devane. Alive and well," O'Malley announced.

"What does that mean for us?" Dimitri asked him.

"It means that the next time we see her vehicle exit with her in it, we wait until it returns and then we attack the car before it passes through the gates. I want to use her as a hostage when we enter the building, forcing whoever is inside to bargain with us. To give us the location of where Bianca and Max are being held in exchange for her life."

"And you think they'll do it?"

"I think it's our best chance. One of my men mentioned the name Nigel Hawthrop; apparently, he's the second in command at Brynn Wydd. He's the one we'll try to negotiate with. Our biggest problem is that we have no idea as to what the layout of her compound is. That's dangerous for us. But we simply don't have the time to try and obtain that sort of information."

"If this works, and we find Max and Bianca, what then?"

"You'll come in with us and once we have the children, you'll make a beeline for the exit, while myself and my men will deal with whatever forces we encounter inside. Getting you, Max and Bianca out is our primary focus. Once outside, David Hayward will be waiting with a getaway vehicle to take you, Max and Bianca straight to the airfield. I would prefer to have another vehicle waiting for us outside, possibly manned by your wife, to give us two getaway options, instead of having myself and my men make our own way to the van or use Charlotte's Jag, but whether we do that, is ultimately your decision. If you're not at ease with it, we'll take the extra risk."

Dimitri nodded, knowing the decision wasn't entirely _his_ at all, "I think that's feasible. But I'm worried about you and your colleagues who'll still be inside once we're outside…I don't want any more bloodshed because of Charlotte Devane."

O'Malley's gaze was unblinking when he turned to Dimitri, "Mr.Marick, do you want to get your son back?"

"Of course…"

"Then that's all I want you to focus on. Let me worry about the rest."

Dimitri knew that getting Max back was a matter of principle for O'Malley and that, if need be, he would give his life for his son. Expecting anything less would have been an insult to him.

"When do you think Charlotte will leave the compound?"

O'Malley smirked. "I have no idea but I hope it's soon, because when she goes back inside, we'll be joining her."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter XX **

_Padre oh padre  
Hai gia sentito  
Cosa mi dice  
E che vuol far? _

_Father oh father  
Have you heard  
What he said  
And what he will do? _

_Calais, Northern France_

"Does he speak?" the man named Jan asked Cesar Faison. "He hasn't said a word in hours."

Cesar turned his head around to look at both Maximilian Marick and his assistant sitting in the rear of the town car, "Of course he speaks, Jan. He's just shy. You'll need to speak English with him. He doesn't understand French or Danish." Faison stared at Max, "Isn't that right, Max? You'll speak to us when you're ready."

Max stared back him in silence and then turned his attention to the colourful buildings and crowds of people outside.

"Hey," Faison slapped his thigh, "I'm talking to you Max. Say something."

Max offered him another silent stare instead.

He had nothing to say to this man and since arriving at his grandmother's house he had decided the less he said, the less likely he would end up saying something that could get him into trouble. He was also starting to sense that what he said wouldn't matter to these people anyway.

Since leaving his grandmother's house Max had been handcuffed to a man named Jan. His wrist was beginning to ache because the metal constantly rubbed against his skin. He told Jan that and asked him to undo them, but telling him hadn't made a difference. He also told them he didn't want to go with them, but Jan had ignored that wish too.

All of them had taken a plane from his grandmother's place. It was a small plane, like the one he had once flown in with his father, and it had brought them to this busy foreign city they were now in. Foreign places had always fascinated Max. He remembered his mother bringing back photo books from places she had gone to when she left on one of her trips, as she often did when they still lived in Wales. Because of them he knew about Rome and New York, Paris and Ankara. He could picture them in his mind and kept telling her that one day he'd go to those exact same places and walk down the same streets she had walked down.

Now that he was in foreign city he didn't know, it was the sights outside that interested him more than the three men sitting in the car with him. He knew that the second man's name was Cesar, but the man behind the driver's wheel had been as silent as Max was during the entire journey, so he still had no idea what his name was.

The men, Jan and Cesar, often spoke to each other in a strange, harsh language which Max didn't understand. But every now and then Cesar would turn towards him and say something in English, as he did now.

He turned his attention to him when he did, not because he was interested in what he had to say but because he was afraid he might hit him if he didn't. Max had a feeling Cesar was the kind of man who might hit someone for doing just that.

"I guess you don't want to talk to us yet, do you? That's alright, Max. You've got lots of time to acquaint yourself with us. All the time in the world."

Relieved with Cesar's lack of anger, Max played with the handcuffs that were now fastening him to the car's door handle. He had played with the handcuff earlier as well, on the plane. He had tugged at it relentlessly to try to pull his wrist through it and rid himself of the metal. At first Jan had slapped him, telling him to stop, but then the other man, Cesar had reprimanded him. After which Max could fiddle with it as much as he desired, even though Jan was clearly annoyed.

Once they were in the sedan, Jan took the handcuffs off his own wrist and fastened Max to the one of the handles on the door of the car.

Max continued to play with them. It was easier now that he wasn't cuffed to Jan anymore. He watched a skateboarder drive alongside their car and look inside. The teenager stuck his tongue out at him, and Max did the same. The gesture made him smile and he stared at the skateboarder as long as he could, waving to him with his free hand, until he was out of view. Absentmindedly, he kept fiddling with the handcuffs, ferociously pushing his wrist against it. He winced when he felt the metal taking off a piece of his skin and then stared wide-eyed when he suddenly noticed that he had freed himself.

Both his hands were free.

Max sat completely still, not sure what to do with this knowledge.

Meanwhile, Jan was staring out the other window, oblivious to it.

Max noticed that the lock on the car door was up. If he wanted to, he could probably open it and jump out.

The car slowed to a halt in the heavy traffic of the city and before his mind made a conscious decision, his hands did the one thing that made sense. The one thing his instincts told him to do.

Max opened the door of the car.

And he ran into the traffic.

_Near Cardiff, Wales_

When Alex and Erica finally arrived near the compound where O'Malley had set up the surveillance van, it was already dark outside and a chilly wind swept across the grassy hills that surrounded them.

The van was parked next to a telephone pole and had the logo of a local telecommunications company written on its side. Anyone who saw the van would think it was there to repair the phone cables.

Dimitri walked outside when he saw the Alex's vehicle approach. As soon the car came to a halt, Erica opened the door and ran towards him, "Oh Dimitri, I talked to Bianca. I spoke to her…she called me!" She sounded as though she had kept the announcement bottled in for far longer than she had wanted to and was dying to tell him. To tell _someone_.

Obviously that meant that Erica and Alex weren't getting any closer. He wondered if they'd spoken so much as five words during their ride back here.

David and O'Malley came out of the van as well, joining Dimitri. As soon as Alex turned off the headlights of the Audi, the surrounding landscape plunged back into darkness.

"Come inside, and tell me everything," O'Malley told Erica. "I need to know exactly what Bianca said." Erica looked at Dimitri, her eyes pleading him to join her, but Dimitri saw David taking hold of one of her arms, leading her inside the van. He acknowledged the gesture with his eyes, grateful for it because it meant he'd have a moment alone with his wife.

Alex finally emerged from the car, and when she did Dimitri pulled her into an embrace. Then he put his arms around her waist and led her away from the van, towards an old wooden fence that ran alongside the street.

"Where are you going?" Alex asked him, puzzled "Don't you want to hear what Erica has to say about the phone call?"

"You can tell me," he answered. Dimitri leaned against the fence, his arms still around her waist. He wondered if this physical need, to always have her close to him, would ever stop, at the same time not sure if he wanted it to. "I just need to spend a minute alone with you, away from the insanity that our life has become."

Alex nodded, understanding. She'd been tense during the entire drive from Brynn Wydd, due to the combination of Erica's presence and her own lingering anger.

And now that Dimitri's arms were around her, she felt a release of all that built-up tension. "It's beautiful out here," she said, watching Dimitri light a cigar. "Heidi, Max and I took used to go for long walks along hills like these." She stared into the direction of Charlotte's compound, "Do you really think he's there?"

Dimitri nodded, "He has to be."

He explained O'Malley's plan to her, adding that he wanted to have David drive Erica back to the airfield tonight.

"O'Malley wants to have someone waiting at the airfield for when we get there and he wants Erica out of harms way."

Alex snickered at the thought, "She won't go willingly, I can tell you that. I'm surprised you even trust me to drive one of your escape vehicles."

"Hey, that's not fair! I always trust you. I just want you safe and far away from Charlotte and from the evil that surrounds her." He glanced at the Audi. "And knowing you, I've no doubts you'll make it to the airfield in good time, especially in_ that_ car. Nice choice."

"We no choice but to get out fast once we have Max and Bianca. Everything we're doing is so far above the law, it's frightening. Who knows what the local authorities would do with us if they were to find out?"

"Hopefully we won't have to find out." Dimitri watched her stare into the distance. "I know what you're thinking."

Alex tugged at her coat, wrapping it around her tightly. The wind was getting colder now. "I'm thinking that it's taking every ounce of willpower I have to not run towards that building, scale that iron fence, and break down the door with my fists."

"I know…but if we're going to do this, we'll only have one chance. We have to do it, right."

Alex leaned against him, her eyes following the gray cigar smoke as it drifted up into the night sky. "Have you considered the possibility that…maybe Max is not in that building?"

Dimitri shook his head, "No. He _has_ to be, and no matter what secret room Charlotte has him stashed away in, I'll find him. I won't leave that building until I do."

"I'm so scared Dimitri, for both of you. I don't want anything to happen to you, I couldn't bear it…"

He bent his head down to kiss her, running his fingers through her hair as he did, "I'm scared too, but I have too much to live for to _not_ make it out alive."

She looked at him, unconvinced, because she knew there was nothing he wouldn't do to get Max back.

"Soon this will all be over," he whispered. "Then I promise you we'll lead the most uneventful and boring life you can imagine." He kissed her again, more urgently this time, "Soon, it's going to be over."

_Inside Charlotte's Compound, near Cardiff, Wales_

Her eyes glued to the TV monitor, Charlotte watched Bianca pacing in her room, frowning as she observed the young woman. She turned to Nigel, making no efforts to hide her frustration.

"There's something different about her since she spoke with her mother. It's as though merely hearing her mother's voice has planted seeds of doubt in her," she told him.

'I suppose this is not the most opportune of times for an '_I told you so_,'' Nigel, thought wistfully. "I don't see anything different about her," he stated matter-of-factly, trying to assuage her fears.

"She's obviously having second thoughts, and it's disturbing me," Charlotte countered.

Nigel smirked, thinking there might be ways to sway Bianca Montgomery.

"What's that twisted little smile for?" Charlotte asked him, interrupting his thoughts.

"I was just thinking that perhaps she may need a bit of chemical reinforcement," he suggested.

"You mean drugs?"

"Yes, I mean drugs. We've used psychotic, mind altering drugs on dozens of subjects, including your daughter. I think Bianca Montgomery might benefit from a mild course of treatment as well."

Charlotte frowned, "Alexandra lost a good portion of her memory because of the drugs we gave her. I don't want that to happen to Bianca. She's too precious to me. I want her to join us _willingly_, not because we brainwashed her into it. Drugs are far too unpredictable for me to want to attempt using them again."

Nigel poured Charlotte a cup of tea, adding a single sugar cube and two teaspoons of milk, just as she liked it. "I'm not suggesting anything as drastic as that. I was simply referring to some basic hallucinogens, something that would make her afraid of her thoughts and turn to you, to _us_, for comfort."

Charlotte smiled at the thought of a frightened Bianca leaning against her shoulder, pleading to make the images in her mind stop. "When you put it that way, I think you might have a point, Nigel. Get Dr. Lewellyn in here."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter XXI

_Padre oh padre  
Re degli elfi  
Mi sta toccando  
Male mi fa _

_Father oh father  
It's the King of the elves  
He is touching me  
He is hurting me_

_Amsterdam, Netherlands _

"_Run Max, run! Run!"_

Max wasn't sure whose voice he heard in his head but he obeyed it blindly.

He ran as fast as his legs allowed him, without once turning back to see if the two men were catching up to him.

Further back, Cesar Faison yelled into the street, in French, "Stop that boy! My son doesn't know what he's doing!"

So disturbed was he by what had transpired that he had forgotten that he had jumped out of his sedan and was standing in the middle of a busy street. A delivery truck jerked itself to a stop and Jan pushed him away from its oncoming path. Horns blared and drivers waved angry arms yelling at the two men to get off the street. It was rush hour and traffic was moving slowly enough without having to avoid hitting pedestrians in the middle of the road.

"Where did he go?" Faison asked Jan, spinning around, trying to spot a small, fast moving figure on the wide, crowded sidewalk.

"I don't know, it all happened so fast. He'd been fiddling with the handcuffs all day. All of a sudden I saw him push the car door open, and he was gone! But he couldn't have gone far."

"This is absurd," Faison growled, there were hundreds of people walking on the sidewalks along the street. "I can't see him anywhere. _Go!_ You run down this street, I'll head towards the train station."

Jan took off before he finished his sentence, and Faison headed towards the huge red-brown brick building with the words _'Gare Centrale'_ written in bold letters on its front.

Meanwhile, Max had already made his way inside the building, gasping for air as his lungs tried to keep up with his demands. He held on tightly to his sides because they were starting to cramp. Still he kept walking, as fast as he could. Most people inside the busy building walked briskly too, either away from or towards one of the dozens of trains that lined up in the station platform. Everyone seemed to know exactly where they were going and no one paid Max the slightest bit of attention. All he had to do was look like he knew where he was going as well. Even though he had no idea.

Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat as he heard a voice make an announcement over the loudspeakers, startling him. Again it was in a strange language that he couldn't understand. He was afraid that the men he was with had gone to the police and now everyone was alerted that he was runaway. He listened nervously for his name in the announcement and relaxed ever so slightly when it ended without mention of it.

'Could they have gone to the police so quickly?' he asked himself. His sides still hurt, as did the open cuts on his wrist. Max noticed dozens of people getting on various trains without having to show any sort of ticket and, in a moment of mad impulse, he decided to do the same.

He had to use the door handle of the train to pull himself up and into the passenger car. Once inside, he saw only a few empty seats as dozens of people were already seated inside. Some passengers were reading newspapers and others sat with their eyes closed. Again no one paid him any attention. Entire families settled into the four-passenger compartments, as though they were planning on being there for a long time. He watched as some people walked from one car to another, and Max decided to do the same. As he entered his third train car, he noticed a door leading to a washroom. He considered going inside and locking the door.

'No, I can't,' he thought, 'if I go in there and lock myself in, someone will notice. What if someone has to use the bathroom? They'll break the door open.' Max then saw two open racks filled with suitcases, right next to the bathroom. Some of the cases were so large they could have hidden an adult.

Max turned around to make sure no one was looking and then quickly crawled behind a large suitcase that stood in the lower corner of the luggage rack.

He moved a duffel bag on top of it, making it impossible for anyone to spot him. Then he pulled his knees towards his chest, leaned against the wall, and waited for the train to start moving.

_Near Cardiff, Wales_

The guard brought a tray of food into Bianca's room and placed it on top of her desk. As always, Bianca thanked him and sat down next to it.

She waited until the guard left the room and then picked up the fork to start eating. It was yet another meat pie of sorts, but Bianca didn't care. The restless pacing she had done earlier had left her famished. 'Why do I feel so torn, all of a sudden?' she asked herself. At first, the prospect of staying here with this woman, who was unlike any other she had ever met, had excited and fascinated her, and now, after speaking with her mother, she felt strangely _homesick_.

She wished Charlotte would come and visit her again, knowing that her presence would at least relieve the heavy loneliness that weighed her down now. As she bit into another piece of meat pie, a sudden realization hit her.

"Max!" she groaned. "I didn't ask Mom about Max and how he's doing. Whether he's back at Wildwind. Oh no…" Bianca cursed herself for the omission. 'How could I have forgotten? I'll have to ask Charlotte for another phone call now.' Bianca had little doubts that her request would be granted, after all the first one had been, why would she object to another one?

'She's not as horrible as Alex made her out to be. She hasn't given me any indication that she is,' Bianca thought. She was certain now that there was more to Alex's prolonged disappearance from Pine Valley than she had told them. After all, there were always two sides to every story, weren't there?

Bianca finished every last bite of the food, including a small dish of tapioca pudding, which she normally would have left untouched. Then she got up to place the tray next to the door. She picked up her book to read for a while until the untouched tray on the floor sparked her interest.

"Hey, room service!" she called out, giggling for no reason; "You may remove the tray now!"

As she walked across the room, she noticed for the first time, a piece of peeling paint along the wall and inexplicably, that too, made her laugh. There was a slight buzz in her head and it made Bianca feel like spinning around. She felt like she did that one New Year's Eve when she'd tasted a little much of her mother's champagne. It was a good feeling.

She turned herself around and around, holding her arms far apart for the sake of balance.

"Wheee…" she cried out, laughing. "Bianca Montgomery, prima ballerina! And you thought all those lessons were a waste of time, Mom. Look at this…" She held her hands above her head and stood on her tiptoes. She couldn't remember having felt this happy in a long, long time. She spun herself around again, and again, before collapsing on the bed in a fit of laughter.

"Oh god, I hope this feeling never ends, never, never ever…"

Several doors down from Bianca's room Charlotte and Dr.Lewellyn observed her on the TV monitor. Charlotte frowned as she watched Bianca getting high. "Is this normal, this reaction?" she asked Lewellyn.

"To be honest, I didn't think she'd consume everything you gave her. Or that if would take effect so quickly. I laced every thing on the tray with a hallucinogenic drug, and she's now got a bit more in her bloodstream than I had hoped."

"But she's not going to be harmed, is she?" Charlotte asked.

"Oh no," Lewellyn guaranteed her. "She might feel extremely blue when she comes out of it in 24 hours or so, but that's a good thing, because when you see her next, you'll display some tender concern for her well being. We want her to associate your presence with her improved spirits."

"Good. And you're sure these drugs won't affect her brain's capacity for coherent thought in the long run?" Charlotte pressed him.

"No, no…of course not. The only way she might risk long term harm is if we were to give them to her for an extended period of time, which we don't intend to. Just enough to make her realize, that being here makes her…well, that it makes her incredibly happy."

Charlotte grimaced as she watched Bianca topple off the bed. 'As long as this happiness doesn't lead to temporary insanity,' she thought.

Her eyes were glued to the TV monitor again, as she watched Bianca lying on the floor, laughing hysterically.

_Outside the compound _

_The next day_

"Ok, this is it! I've got a positive ID on Charlotte Devane in the Jaguar," O'Malley jumped up and broke the silence in the surveillance van. "She's left the compound. Next time she goes back in we'll be inside the car with her. All we do now is wait until she comes back."

O'Malley left the van to head towards the Mercedes that he would use to drive in front of the Jaguar, and which David would later use as one of the two getaway vehicles. His two local colleagues, Brett and Stephen, adjusted their bulletproof vests and double-checked their weapons, ready to storm the Jag as soon as O'Malley had brought it to a halt. "The only problem is we have no idea how long she'll be. It could be half an hour or less, or it could be half a day or more until she returns. The wait is going to be a bit of a nail biter," Brett told them.

"That's an understatement," Dimitri said, exhaling and trying in vain to keep his pounding heart still. Alex adjusted his bullet proof for the umpteenth time, "Are you sure you know how to use this?" she asked him, making sure the automatic handgun O'Malley had given him had a full round of ammunition inside.

"Darling, I've spend more time Hungarian military than I've cared to… you know this already. Just promise me you'll keep your own gun loaded and your own bullet proof vest on, before I have second thoughts about you driving that car from the compound."

She leaned up to kiss him, "It's too late for second thoughts now, Dimitri."

"I know. I'm so nervous. We can't mess this up," he whispered the last words so the others in the van wouldn't hear.

"You won't," she assured him quietly, "Nervous is a good thing, it means you'll be careful and alert."

She made him sit down, and cupped his hands into both of hers, in order to stop them from shaking.

An hour passed, and they barely moved from their spots, until Brett, his eyes glued to the tiny video monitor, shouted the command they were waiting for, "She's back! This is it! We're ready to roll!"

Stephen and Brett both jumped out of the van, running towards the spot where O'Malley would pull his car in front of the Jag.

Dimitri moved to the window, taking a deep breath, waiting for the events to unfold. As soon as O'Malley and his men had control of the car and its occupants, Dimitri was to join them inside it.

From inside the van, Dimitri, Alex, and David watched as O'Malley's Mercedes thundered out of a side road, as if from nowhere, directly onto the path of Charlotte's moving Jaguar.

The Jaguar screeched to a halt, sending a cloud of dust into the air. Ironically, the wall of dust provided a perfect cover for Brett and Stephen as they ran out from behind the trees, towards the Jaguar. Only Charlotte and her personal driver were inside as O'Malley yanked open the front door and held his gun next to the driver's temple. "If you come out slowly with your hands above your head, absolutely nothing will happen to you."

Meanwhile, flanking both sides of the car, Brett and Stephen pointed their guns towards Charlotte, who was sitting in the back. "And you stay right where you are," Brett instructed her as he moved inside the vehicle to sit next to her and handcuff her.

O'Malley injected a syringe into the arm of the driver and pushed him down onto the banks of the road where he would be hidden from view. It would be several hours before he would regain consciousness. O'Malley raised his arm motioning for Dimitri to join them.

Alex squeezed his hand, "Come back safe, okay?"

He nodded, "I will. With Max." Then he ran towards the Jaguar and jumped inside, joining O'Malley in the front, next to the drivers seat.

Once inside the car, he turned around to see Charlotte sitting handcuffed in the back seat.

In exchange for his cold stare, she offered him a smile.

"Well, well, Mr. Marick. It's good to see you again. I should have known that you would be the one behind this unpleasant surprise. It's quite clever, really. The only question I have is, what took you so long?"


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter XXII **

_Ma ad un tratto  
Il bimbo trema  
Dalla paura  
Freddo si fa _

_But suddenly  
The boy trembles  
With fear  
It gets cold _

_Calais, Northern France_

"I can't believe this!" Faison exclaimed to Jan, in stunned disbelief. "A seven-year old handcuffed boy can't just jump out of a car and vanish into thin air! He's got to be somewhere, damn it!"

Both Faison and Jan had spent the last few hours combing every section of the train station and the city blocks that surrounded it. Faison had called in three of his men in Calais, going so far as to pull them off their current assignments to help him search for Max, and not one of them had found so much as a trace of the boy.

He now lit his third cigarette in a row and sat down on one of the benches inside the train station, banging his free hand against the wood in frustration.

"He could have gotten on a train…" Jan suggested.

"If he did, one of the ticket conductors will find him and turn him into the police. What a nightmare this will be, if he ends up at a local police station. Interpol has a world wide search out on that boy. All it takes is a police officer with half a brain to look through their data base out and put two and two together. Max Marick will be home with his parents in no time and Charlotte will paint a target on my forehead."

Jan as always, was the picture of rational calm. "We have contacts at all major European police headquarters," he reminded Faison. "We simply need to inform them that Max may possibly turn up at one of them. This situation can still be salvaged. Reason stands that he _will _turn up somewhere soon. He's not even eight years old. He doesn't speak a word of French or have a single penny in his pockets. How far can he get under those circumstances?"

"I don't care about how far he gets," Faison fumed. He inhaled deeply, letting the nicotine flow through his veins, calming his nerves. "I care about _where_ he ends up. If Charlotte finds out before we find him, she'll destroy us."

Jan phoned one of Faison's contacts, a police officer at the Calais police headquarters, letting him know what to do should Max end up there. And then he phoned another officer, who also frequently found himself on Faison's payroll. And then another...

Faison put out his cigarette and stood back up, ready to comb the train station once more, cursing to himself as he did.

_Central Station, Paris, France_

Max wasn't sure when exactly he had fallen asleep. He did know that it was the loud scream of a shocked the woman that now woke him up.

"_Oh mon Dieu! Il y a un p'tit garcon qui se cache dans les baggages!"_

The woman screamed when she lifted the duffel bag off the suitcase, exposing Max.

After Max got over the shocked look on the woman's face, he noticed that the train had stopped moving. The woman's screams had attracted the attention of another man, who was now standing next to her, and before they had a chance to draw any sort of conclusions and take him back to those men, Max decided to bolt out of his hiding place in the luggage rack. He opened the train's doors and ran outside into another busy train station, even more crowded than the one from which he'd boarded the train.

His legs were heavy and tired and it took an enormous effort to convince them to move at a running pace. _"Run Max! Run!"_ the voice told him again and he tried his best to obey it. He ran out of the train station and into the city streets. He wasn't able to run far before the pain in his sides forced him to stop.

He held his hand against one side, hoping to ease the cramps and as he did, he noticed that his wrist was throbbing too. The area where he had ripped off a large chunk of skin was now full of dried, dark red blood and Max noticed that he had stained his sweater sleeve with the blood. He walked past a vendor, an old man with a thick, white beard who was selling chestnuts. The smell of it suddenly made Max sick to his stomach.

He thought he was going to throw up, right then and there, in the middle of the sidewalk, but he bit his lips and kept walking, even though his knees were shaking now.

In the distance, ahead of him, Max saw a small park, with trees, benches and a playground. He stumbled towards it. Finding an empty bench, he sat down on it and pulled his knees up against his stomach. He had a stomachache that gnawed at his insides and the area around his eyelids pulsated in pain.

He felt absolutely miserable.

He couldn't remember the last time he wanted to have his mother's arms around him as badly as he did now. She always knew what to do to make him feel better. "Mum…" he called out softly, wondering if it was at all possible that she could hear him.

"_What happens when people die?" he had asked her, one day not long ago. _

_She had pointed towards the sky, "When people die their souls go up to heaven. That's where they begin another life. One that lasts forever." _

"_Can they still see us from heaven?" _

"_Of course. Even though we can't see them, they can see us. Their souls guide us and protect us."_

"Mum…?" he asked again, his voice desperate this time. He stared up through the tree branches above him, into the sky. "Can you hear me?"

Was she protecting him somehow?

Max waited for an answer, but there was none. The realization made him cry.

Then he closed his eyes, ignoring the noisy children playing around him. He hoped to find another memory. One that would take him far away from the present.

_Near Cardiff Wales-Outside the compound_

Alex opened the door of the Audi and slammed it shut behind her, as she walked towards the Mercedes that David Hayward was sitting in.

He rolled down the window as she came up to him, "What's up?"

"It's been over half an hour since they went inside. What could possibly be taking them so long?" she asked him anxiously. "Has O'Malley contacted you on the radio?"

"No, and that's a good thing. He said he'll contact us only in the event of an emergency and once just before he comes out of the compound, to let us know he's coming."

David was beginning to understand why O'Malley had insisted that _he_ carry the radio, not Alex.

"This wait, it's killing me. So is not knowing what's going on in there."

David opened the doors of his car and got outside to stand next to her, "Alex, you've got to calm down. O'Malley is a professional at the top of his game. Did you see the way him and his men stormed Charlotte's car? If anyone is going to get your son back, it's him. He knows what he's doing."

"But Dimitri's not some sort of mercenary! I don't think I've ever seen him hold a gun!"

He moved to put his arms around her, "Alex, stop it! If Dimitri didn't feel comfortable going in there with O'Malley, he wouldn't have done it. If O'Malley thought Dimitri's inexperience would jeopardize this operation, he would never have let him go along. You know that. I also think your husband is a lot more comfortable handling firearms than you might think."

Alex looked at him, doubtful. "I don't know David. I have a bad feeling about this."

"You do realize that worrying yourself sick over this is not going to have any effect on what's going on in there? Right?"

Alex nodded, "I know…"

"Good," he said, his arm still on her shoulder as they leaned against the hood of the car. "Hey, I spoke with Erica on the way to the airfield. She told me there was an incident with you in a pub in Brynn Wydd…something about you doubled over in pain? You want to tell me about it?"

Alex raised her shoulders, "I don't know what happened. It was very sudden, and the pain…it went as quickly as it came. I'm sure it was nothing. I was just so angry with Erica, I could've killed her for not asking about Max."

"Did you ever experience anything like that when you were carrying Max?"

Alex shook her head, "No, never."

David frowned. It wasn't the answer he'd hoped for. "Don't push yourself, okay? You're suppoed to slow down and avoid stress. At this point in the pregnancy, the risks of a miscarriage are high, especially given your anemia."

"I don't want to lose this baby, David," she said softly, her dark eyes meeting his. "I know when you told me I was pregnant I wasn't exactly ecstatic, but I _do_ love this child, and I don't want you to think that I would do anything reckless to risk its life."

"I don't think you would, Alex, but I do think you overestimate your own strength."

"When I went to see Heidi, she made me realize that no matter how much I miss Max or how much my heart aches for him, it doesn't lessen the miracle that this baby is and how much I do want this child, in spite of everything…"

"Good, I'm glad, and I'm sure before the day is over you'll have your son back as well."

Her eyes told him she wasn't nearly as certain as he was. "I hope so, David. Because I honestly don't know what I'll do if we don't find him..."

_Inside the compound_

Entering the compound had been easier than O'Malley had imagined it would be. There was one guard at the gates, which he himself had knocked out, and another one near the main entrance, which Stephen and Brett had taken care of. After that, the first hallway had been virtually deserted. In a way, it made sense that security would be limited, after all, few people knew of Brynn Wydd's existence, and even fewer would consider breaking into a training ground for international assassins.

Brett pushed Charlotte along the hallway while O'Malley and Dimitri searched for some sort of command centre. O'Malley stopped when he saw a large, oak door near the middle of the hallway. He opened it slowly, alone, while the others stood aside, weapons drawn. The first thing he saw was a dozen TV monitors and a cluster of high-tech surveillance equipment. A lone man was sitting in one corner of the room, wearing a headset. As soon as he spotted O'Malley, he tried to run across to the other side of the room, in an obvious attempt to press some sort of alarm, but O'Malley was faster.

"Don't even think about it!" he threatened, pressing his gun against the man's head. In two quick motions he had him handcuffed, and as he did with the others, he pulled out another syringe and injected its contents directly into the man's fleshy upper arm.

He then directed Stephen, Brett and Dimitri to enter the room with Charlotte. Dimitri pushed Charlotte down onto one of the chairs and then gasped as he saw a familiar face on one of the TV monitors. "Oh my god…look! It's Bianca."

O'Malley looked up at the TV screen and saw a young woman, sitting at the side of her bed, her face drawn and melancholy. He pressed his gun against Charlotte's temple, wondering what sort of reaction it would elicit. "Tell me where that room is, if your life is worth anything to you!"

Charlotte's heart rate barely registered the threat. She knew it was a bluff. "Don't even bother to threaten me. I know very well you won't do anything to me until I tell you where Max is."

O'Malley expected as much from Charlotte, and just as his threat didn't faze her, neither did her reaction faze him. He looked at Brett, "I want you to comb the building for that room where Bianca is, and let us know on the radio as soon as you find her."

Meanwhile Dimitri desperately scanned the other monitors for some sign of Max, only to find none. He glared at Charlotte, "Where the hell is Max? What have you done to him?"

Charlotte smiled and said nothing.

O'Malley checked his watch and then turned to Dimitri, "If Stephen and I try to locate Nigel Hawthrop in order to negotiate with him, can you handle Charlotte on your own?"

Dimitri nodded, "Of course. Just find him."

"Lock the door from the inside," O'Malley instructed him, "I'll radio you when we come back, and if there's any sort of problem, I want you to radio David and get out as fast as you can. No exceptions. Leave everything and get yourself the hell out of here, understood?"

"Just find that man and convince him we'll kill Charlotte if he doesn't tell us where Max is."

The three men left the control room and Dimitri locked it behind them.

Charlotte turned around to face Dimitri, "Well, it's just you and me now, is it? I have to admit your idea has its merits, but Nigel will never tell you anything. He's completely loyal to me. Besides what makes you think he _knows_ anything?"

Dimitri moved his face next to hers, close enough to feel her breath. "Where is he?"

Charlotte smirked, delighted by his obvious desperation.

It was a sight that made Dimitri realize he had never loathed anyone as deeply as Charlotte Devane.

At one point or another, she had taken all the things that were most precious to him; first his wife, then his son…his very reasons for living.

Dimitri _wanted_ to kill her, as much as he had ever wanted anything. God, how much he wanted to make her pay for forcing Alex to kill, for ordering to have her killed, for keeping them apart for seven long years; years which he could never get back. Because of Charlotte Devane he had missed his son's first steps, his first smile, his first words, his first Christmas, his first _everything_…and now she had taken him again; Max, who meant the world to him.

"Tell me where he is! Damn you!"

Charlotte frowned, "Oh Dimitri, stop bullying me. Have you become such a brute that you're going to make me long for my daughter's conversational skills? She might have been utterly useless to me, but she was rather clever, sarcastic as she was, I'll grant her that. I must confess, I am rather disappointed to see you here instead of her. There are things I need to tell Sasha. Mother-daughter things. You wouldn't understand, Dimitri."

Dimitri stared at her in disbelief before forcing himself to stop looking at her for fear of what he might do.

"For starters, I wanted to congratulate her on defeating Justin Black," Charlotte went on, not bothered that he had turned his back on her. "He was one of my best men and it couldn't have been easy to stop him from killing her, although…" she paused, waiting for her words to sink in. "I heard there was a fair bit of luck involved. Something about you arriving at her cottage, just in time. Wasn't she covered in blood when you got there?" Charlotte scrunched her face. "That must have been such a repulsive sight. Yet you picked her up and carried her out in your own arms. Or so I heard. Do you still remember what that felt like? To have your wife's blood soaking your clothes? A memory like that must be forever etched in your mind and…"

The back of Dimitri's hand whipped across her mouth before she could finish her sentence, leaving her with a instantly bloodied lip.

Charlotte licked her lips, unrattled. "Ah, the taste of blood. Rather appropriate wouldn't you say? Although I am surprised that someone of your regal upbringing would scoop so low as to hit a woman, a handcuffed, unarmed woman, no less. "

"You are so vile…there is nothing feminine about you," Dimitri spat, cold and indifferent to the blood trickling down her cheek.

"Oh, Dimitri…there is so much I could tell you about your beloved wife. About the things she did for me. Knowing her, I'm sure there's so much she hasn't told you. Tell me, Dimitri, aren't you the least bit curious?"

"Tell me where my son is!" he yelled. The thought of Max spending even a few minutes with this woman sent involuntary chills down his spine.

" 'Max, Max, Max'…now you're just boring me. Why in the world would I _ever_ tell you where he is? There is nothing you could do to make me tell you…absolutely nothing! Surely you know that. Nothing that means more to me than the knowledge that I've finally outwitted my daughter and deprived her of the one thing she wants more than anything. The one thing she cannot live without…_her son_. That knowledge means more to me than my life."

Dimitri suddenly realized something that he hadn't allowed himself to contemplate before entering the building. It was the same thought that gnawed at the back of his mind when he searched the TV monitors for a sign of his son.

_Max was not here._

Charlotte seemed to have picked up on the newfound fear in his face. "Think about it, Dimitri. Knowing the connections I have, the things I could have done with Max are endless. I could have shipped him off to some rich, desperate, childless couple in South America. Or maybe I saw something in his thick, dark hair and smooth skin that I knew would be a big hit in the brothels of Thailand. Young boys are particularly sought after in certain circles…"

The thought of another man touching Max made Dimitri physically ill.

And yet Charlotte's vile words kept tumbling out of her mouth.

"Or maybe, and this really would be the most practical thing to do, maybe your boy is already lying six feet underneath the fertile Welsh soil? Picture his little body cold and lifeless. Or...'' She paused again, ''Perhaps I buried him further away, maybe just outside a little farming town in the Lake District or even somewhere up in Scotland, where the soil will soon be too hard to dig into, given the approaching winter."

Charlotte paused, taking pleasure in watching him disintegrate before her eyes. His face had lost all colour and he was a deathly pale now.

"Don't you wonder sometimes, what his last words could have been, Dimitri? Did he ask for you, or did he ask for his Mum?"

Dimitri tightened his fist, pressing his fingernails into the palm of his hand.

And yet she still went on.

"Do you think he knew he was going to die? I hear children often have a sixth sense about things like that. Or do you think he was waiting for you to come and save him? Like the knight in shining armour that Alex always made you out to be?"

Finally she shut up, but in that moment of silence, her words rang through his mind.

"_Did he ask for you?" _

"_Do you think he knew he was going to die?" _

"_Or did he ask for his Mum?"_

Never before had he felt such hatred.

He raised his gun and aimed it at Charlotte.

She smiled at him, confident that he wouldn't pull the trigger.

The force of the first bullet knocked her off her chair.

Dimitri watched her fall to the ground, a shocked, incredulous expression on her pained face.

And then he fired again.

And again.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter XXIII **

_E il bambino  
Con occhi chiusi  
Lui non si muove  
Perso e gia _

_And the boy  
Eyes closed  
He doesn't move  
He's already lost _

_Inside Charlotte's compound-near Cardiff, Wales_

There was silence in Charlotte Devane's control room. The only sound Dimitri Marick heard was the artificial humming of the electronic machinery that surrounded him.

The unconscious body of the drugged technician lay to his right, and the barely alive, bleeding body of Charlotte Devane lay directly in front of him.

Dimitri drew his hand to his mouth in shock, 'Oh God, what have I done?' Charlotte Devane was their only bargaining chip. An even worse thought crossed his mind, 'What if she really is the only one who knows where Max is?'

He dropped his handgun and kneeled down next to Charlotte, checking for a pulse at the side of her neck. As he did, she moaned and opened her mouth to speak. No sound came out, only a thin trickle of blood at the side of her lips.

"Tell me where he is, Charlotte…for once in your life, do the right thing. Tell me, I beg you, please tell me…" He had never felt as desperate.

Charlotte stared at him blankly, her eyes a mask of pain. With her last ounce of strength she grabbed his arm, "You surprised me, Dimitri…I didn't…think you would do…that."

Holding on to him made her cough and another trickle of blood oozed out from the side of her mouth.

Dimitri knew his hope of finding Max was fading along with Charlotte's life, "I'm begging you to do one just good thing, tell me, please Charlotte…tell me where to find my son."

Charlotte gasped and Dimitri watched the blood from her gunshot wound collecting itself in a neat little pool next to her body.

"Come…closer," she whispered, her voice breaking with the effort.

Dimitri leaned in towards her, his ear next to her lips.

"Tell…my Sasha, one thing…. You tell her…that…_I won._"

It was the last thing she said.

Her blood-stained lips were locked in a satisfied smile as she closed her eyes.

"No…no…you can't just die! Damn it!" Dimitri shook her, reaching for a pulse again, his hands shaking when he found none. "Oh God…no! What have I done?"

The cackling noise of the two-way radio made Dimitri jump back in shock. He picked it up, his hands trembling so hard that it nearly slipped from his fingers; fingers that were now covered in sticky, red blood. It was O'Malley. "We found Bianca. Brett is taking her out of the compound to your wife's car. We still haven't located Nigel or Max. Have you been able to obtain any information from Charlotte? Over."

"Charlotte is dead."

There was a pause on the other end before O'Malley answered, "Charlotte is dead? I repeat, have I understood that correctly? Over."

Dimitri struggled to regain his composure, "Yes...yes, that's correct, over."

Another pause, "I'm coming to see you. Over and out." There was a click and Dimitri was again surrounded by nothing but the humming noise of the electronics around him.

Within minutes, O'Malley was at the door and Dimitri opened it for him. O'Malley looked at the lifeless body of Charlotte Devane on the floor and then at Dimitri, his gaze neither angry nor reproachful. "What happened?" was all he asked.

"She taunted me…she said things about Max, terrible things. She said she killed him…"

"She would want you to believe that. No matter how terrible the things she said, they were most likely fabrications. You have to keep that in mind. I haven't given up hope that Max is in the building or that we'll still find Nigel Hawthrop. Have you seen him on any of the TV monitors?"

Dimitri shook his head, "No... but what about Bianca? Did she say anything about Max? Did she see him at all since they were taken?"

"No. It was very odd; I spoke to her briefly when Brett found her. She mumbled something about Max being with you at Wildwind, and that she didn't want to leave. But so much about her seemed off somehow. I suspect she's been drugged."

O'Malley looked at Dimitri then at the dead body.

"I shouldn't have done this," Dimitri told him, his voice surprisingly calm now. He had never killed anyone in cold blood and yet Charlotte Devane's death left him strangely unaffected. There was no remorse for her, only immense regret for what his recklessness could mean for Max.

"We'll have to find him on our own, that's all."

"I've got a feeling he's not here…"

"I don't want to draw that conclusion just yet. If we don't get some answers in this building today, finding them once we leave here will be that much harder." O'Malley handed Dimitri his handgun, "I want you to come with me and search the sub-basement for Nigel. I'm going to try to lock this door so no one will find her body until we're out of here. I doubt anything of what happened here today will reach the local authorities. I think Charlotte's men are going to keep everything under wraps. That said, I still want us on your plane and on our way out of the country tonight."

_Outside the compound_

David received the radio call shortly after Brett had located Bianca.

"They've got Bianca," he told Alex, who was still standing outside next to his Mercedes. "O'Malley wants you to drive your car up to the gates and take her out to the airfield."

"What about Dimitri and Max?" she asked him.

"It looks like I'll be taking them."

"Why don't you take Bianca? I'll wait for Dimitri…"

He gave her an incredulous look, "Alex, we agreed on this already! Dimitri wants you out of here first, and I don't blame him. If he knew that you're pregnant he wouldn't have let you do this at all."

"David, this isn't _your_ fight…"

They spotted Brett coming out of the compound with Bianca, "Don't you worry about me," David told her "I'm good at saving my own skin. Now get the hell out of here!"

Alex gave him a look that let him know she didn't agree. Still, she headed towards the Audi, slamming the door behind her as she got in. A cloud of dust from the gravel road covered his Mercedes and David coughed, as it entered the car through his open window.

"Thanks..."

He watched Alex pull up to the gates. Brett shoved Bianca into the passenger's side of the car, fastening her seat belt before turning around and running back into compound. David noticed that there was something odd about the way Bianca had stumbled rather than walked to the car. There was an unnatural lethargy to her movements.

'Drugs,' was the first thing that came to David's mind.

Meanwhile, Alex reversed Audi and then turned it around, as she sped back towards David's car, passing him by as she sped away from both him and the compound. David gave her a quick wave and then settled back into his seat, waiting for the next set of instructions from O'Malley.

_En route to the airfield_

Alex glanced at Bianca, who sat motionless and wide-eyed in the seat next to her as she drove away from the compound. "Bianca, sweetie, are you okay?" she asked her, placing a hand on Bianca's arm.

Bianca didn't reply but she did turn around to look at Alex, her eyes glazed and her face pale and ashen. One look at her was enough to make Alex realize that she'd been drugged. 'Poor thing,' she thought, keeping her eyes on the road ahead. She decided to give her a moment to adjust to what had happened. She looked like she was in no shape to answer a simple question, as much as Alex wanted to ask her about Max. 'Erica will be devastated if she sees you like this.'

"It's okay, Bianca, you're safe now," Alex told her softly. "In less than an hour you're going to be with your mother."

She had driven barely fifteen minutes when Bianca held her hands to her mouth and started to shake.

Alex turned towards her, concerned. "Bianca, are you alright?"

"I'm going to be sick…"

Alex pulled over to the side of the road and jolted the car to a halt. 'I shouldn't stop,' she thought. However, the idea of having the dashboard full of vomit was even less appealing than having Charlotte's men on their tail.

She expected Bianca to jump out of the car as soon as she stopped but instead she remained in her seat, frozen and paralyzed. Alex ran around to her side, opened the door for her, undid her seatbelt, and helped her out of the vehicle. She was barely a few feet from the car when she started to heave and then promptly threw up.

As she did, Bianca fell to her knees, and Alex held her forehead up. Bianca's whole body was shaking.

Alex felt angry seeing her like this. Angry at the thought that it was her mother that had done this to her. "It's okay, sweetheart. Let it out. You'll feel better afterward."

Alex waited a few minutes for Bianca to stop shaking. "Do you feel well enough to come back in the car with me? We really don't have a lot of time to spare."

Bianca shook her head and said her first words since Alex had seen her."I don't want to go with you, Alex."

"What?" Alex didn't understand.

"You just stuffed me in that car...you didn't even ask me...you didn't even ask me if I wanted to go back to my old life."

Alex looked into Bianca's eyes, noticing her pupils were dilated.

"Please, don't make me go back, before I even had a chance here..."

"Bianca," Alex tried to reason, her voice gentle. "I think Charlotte gave you something that's making you feel the way you feel. I know you miss your mother. You want to see her, don't you?"

"No." Bianca shook her head, "Please just leave me here."

"I can't do that Bianca. It's me, Alex. You know me, sweetie. You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt you. Please trust me and come with me." She made an attempt to grab her arm but Bianca saw what she was doing and pulled away from her.

Alex knew she could easily immobilize her if she wanted to. Martial arts might not have been her forte but she was well enough trained that a young, untrained woman like Bianca would barely pose a challenge. But the idea appalled her. 'And what if she puts up a struggle in the car?' Alex asked herself. 'I have nothing with which to restrain her. What the hell did Charlotte do to you?'

Bianca moved further away from Alex, towards the car. Alex didn't understand what she was doing. If she wanted to be left here, why wasn't she trying to run off? Why head back to the car?

Her question was answered when she saw Bianca open the door and reach for the gun that Alex had left lying between their seats.

"Bianca…what are you doing?" Alex's voice registered her shock. She didn't think Bianca was capable of hurting anyone, but at the same time, the woman standing across from her wasn't the Bianca she thought she knew.

"I don't want to hurt you Alex. Just let me go. Take your car and drive wherever you have to go by yourself." Bianca's voice by contrast was now surprisingly clear.

"Bianca, I'm not going to leave you here. Please put down the gun. Let's just talk...tell me why you don't want to go. We won't go anywhere until you're ready. But first put down the gun."

Alex was grateful for the lack of traffic on the road. What would a passing motorist do if he were to see Bianca pointing a gun at her? She observed Bianca and guessed that given her pallor and unsteady hands, she was still feeling sick.

"Bianca, put the gun down," Alex told her, her eyes trying to meet Bianca's. Trying to gain some insight into what was going on in her mind.

Alex took a tentative step towards her, knowing once she was within arm's reach she would be able to disarm her in seconds. This time she wouldn't hesitate.

Bianca raised the gun and pointed it at Alex, "Don't come any closer, Alex! I swear, I'll shoot…don't make me do that!"

Alex shook her head, "You're not going to shoot me, Bianca. I know that and I know that _you_ know that too."

Bianca wiped a tear from her eye, "You don't know me. Everybody thinks they know me, but they don't…you have no idea how I feel right now."

Alex took another slow step towards her, "I know you're a good person, Bianca. I know you love your family, your mother, Dimitri…please just throw the gun away. I promise I won't make you do anything you don't want to."

"You always seem so kind to me, but I don't know what to believe anymore. I don't know if I can trust you...or if I ever want things to go back to the way they were. I just know I don't want to feel like this anymore..." She was crying now. Thick, wet tears fell down her cheeks.

Biance lowered her gun and Alex took one more tentative step towards her. "It's okay, Bianca…let it fall to the ground."

"It's not okay...I won't let you take me back..."

Bianca raised her gun again, this time wrapping her finger around the trigger. A chill went up Alex's spine as she realized what was going to happen next.

She was about to drop to the ground, out of the line of fire. But she was too slow.

Bianca had already fired.

_St.Agathe Hospital, Paris, France_

The two young interns stood outside the room where Max was sleeping and they argued.

"You _have_ to call the police! His parents are probably going crazy worrying about him!" the young woman, with the shoulder length hair, tried to convince her colleague.

"I _will_ contact the authorities as soon as I finish the paper work on my last transient, and not a minute sooner. And I'll bet you a hundred Euros that his gypsy family will show up to claim him before then. Trust me, the police is the last place they'll want to go to pick him up," the young doctor, with the blond goatee, argued in return.

"You don't know that he's a gypsy, Pierre…" the woman countered.

"Oh, come on. Take one look at him. That black hair and dirty clothes. You are so naïve, even after all this time. You know how it is; they park their trailers outside of the city and send in their kids to pickpocket the tourists. This one happend to get sick and left behind. His buddies will probably claim him before I start the arduous, and I repeat, _arduous_, process of contacting the police and Children's Aid."

"So tell me then, what sort of stolen items have you found on our little thief?" the woman asked him challengingly.

Pierre shrugged, "Searching him is not my business. Look I have to go now. _You_ take care of him since you seem to be so fond of him. I have more important things to do with my time."

He turned around and headed down the busy hospital corridor away from his colleague and the boy. After an eighteen-hour shift, he was far too tired to argue any more or to start the long paper trail that a lost child entailed.

The woman watched Pierre walk down the corridor and then turned her eyes to the little boy sleeping in the hospital room. She remembered the young mother who had brought him in only a few hours before. The mother had found him lying on park bench, next to the playground where she had taken her own little girl to play on the swings.

"_I asked everybody in the playground who he belonged to, and then I waited for two hours, hoping someone would come for him. Then it got dark and I went up to the boy, he was half asleep, and I asked him his name and he didn't say anything. Not one word! I touched his forehead and he was burning hot, so I thought I should bring him here," the young mother had explained. _

"_You did the right thing," she had told her. _

_And then the young mother had lowered her voice, "Take a look at his right wrist, it's all cut and bloody. It's as though someone had tied him up, or handcuffed him. It's so terrible, to think that something like this could happen, in the middle of the city…it's unthinkable."_

And now the little boy was here admitted to her floor in the hospital. The young intern had bandaged and disinfected his wrists and given him something that would hopefully lower his fever.

She sat down next to the boy as he slowly opened his eyes, "Hi there, sleepy guy." She smiled at him, noticing for the first time that he had a pair of beautiful, warm, brown eyes that reminded her of someone else she once knew. "How are you feeling?"

The boy looked at her and said nothing, merely observing her.

She touched his forehead and brushed the dark hair from his face, "You don't want to talk, do you? Or maybe you can't talk."

She measured his body temperature; pleased to see that it was no longer as high as it was when he was brought here. "Can you tell me your name?" she asked him.

Max kept staring at the woman, deciding she was by far the nicest person he had encountered since the death of his parents. Even so, he didn't understand the language she spoke and part of him was glad he didn't. 'That way I don't have to talk. If they know my name they'll only send me back to my grandmother.'

A thought occurred to the young doctor at the same time. 'Maybe it's the language that's the problem. Maybe he's the son of tourists…'

She spoke to him in perfect English, "Can you tell me your name?"

She thought she saw both understanding and fear in the boy's eyes this time. Or maybe she was just imagining it.

She looked at the bandage on his wrist. 'Maybe you don't _want_ to go back to whoever did that to you. I can't blame you for that,' she thought sadly, wondering how anyone could possibly abuse a child. "Whenever you're ready, sweetheart, whenever you're ready," she said softly, still in English.

She stroked his hand with her fingers, wondering what he was thinking. She smiled at him, "Alright then. If you won't tell me your name, at least let me tell you mine. Just in case you want to call for me. You just ask for Robin. Dr. Robin Scorpio, okay?" She wrote it down on a piece of paper for him and handed it to him, "Just give them this, and they'll know to call for me."

He took the paper from her hand and Robin wondered whether he understood anything she was saying.

'I think you do,' she thought watching him observe her with a pair of dark, intelligent eyes, 'I really think you do.'


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter XXIV

_Figlio Perduto  
Vuoi fare un gioco?  
Gioia ti porto  
Vieni con me _

_Lost son  
Do you want to play?  
I bring you joy  
Come with me _

_Near Cardiff, Wales_

Bianca Montgomery had never fired a gun, and she was shocked at the how tightly she had to hold on to it when she pulled the trigger. The gun jerked back into the palm of her hand each time it spit out a bullet. It was as though it was alive.

"Bianca don't…!" was the last thing she heard Alex say before the third bullet from the gun hit her. The force of it made her fall backwards onto the ground. Bianca heard her gasp.

The sight terrified her. Bianca wanted nothing more than to run to her side and help her. But she couldn't. Her mind and her body were two separate entities. Her finger kept pulling the trigger, firing aimlessly into the air, until finally, mercifully, Bianca ran out of ammunition.

On the ground, Alex groaned and Bianca watched as she clumsily tried to lift herself off the ground. There was a small, steady stream of blood running down her left arm. It was seeing the blood that finally did something to her mind that no amount of pleading or reasoning could have done only minutes ago.

It snapped her back to the horrible reality of what she had just done.

'I shot her…oh god…I shot Alex.'

The thought filled her with such repulsion that her body began to heave and before she realized what she was doing, she threw up again.

"How...how could I do this?"

Bianca vaguely remembered a feeling of utter desperation. Of unbearable sadness. She remembered grabbing the gun and firing because it was the only thing she could think of doing to stop Alex from taking her away.

_Taking her away from what exactly? What was it she so desperately wanted to go back to? _

Bianca couldn't even remember anymore why the thought of leaving had filled her with such dread. Her head pounded and she was sure she was losing her mind.

Her trembling hands dropped the gun as though it were on fire and she ran towards Alex.

She was sobbing uncontrollably as she helped Alex sit up, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry…I didn't mean to hurt you... I just wanted to stay." She kept apologizing not sure how often she said the same words over.

Alex caught her breath. "Bianca…I know you didn't mean to do what you did…" It sounded like she couldn't get any air into her lungs. "It's okay…I know how it feels to not know what you're doing…but we have to get out of here and you have to help me."

"How...how badly hurt are you?" She didn't want Alex to answer. She was terrified of the answer.

"I'm alright, Bianca. The bullet hit my vest..." Alex told her, pointing to a metal tip lodged inside her bullet proof vest. Had she not been wearing it, she might not have been conscious to answer the question. "It didn't penetrate it. I just had the air knocked out of me."

Bianca helped her stand up, her own knees shaking so hard she could barely support herself. "But your arm is bleeding…it looks terrible, Alex."

Bianca saw Alex looking at it in surprise, as if only now realizing that she'd been shot not once, but twice. "I don't think it's serious Bianca," Alex told her. She still sounded like she couldn't breathe. "I think it just grazed me. It would hurt much worse if it were lodged inside... "

"Thank god..." Bianca mouthed.

"But there is a problem...I can't stand to lose a lot of blood, Bianca. I have anemia. It'll make me really lightheaded really quickly."

Bianca didn't understand. Anemia?

Alex had grabbed her arm, "Bianca, this could make me pass out soon," she told her. "I need you to drive. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"No," Bianca stared at her, not knowing what to say. "I don't understand..."

"I'm going to be fine, if we get to Dimitri's plane. He's got enough medical supplies there to stock a small village. If I do pass out David will know what to do...but you're the one who's got to get us there."

"I don't know..." Bianca still wasn't sure she understood. Dimitri's plane? David? David Hayward was here? Nothing made sense anymore.

"Bianca!" Alex had grabbed her face with both her hands. "Are you listening to me? I need you to drive that car!"

Bianca nodded. Drive. Yes, she could drive. She would do whatever it took to make it up to Alex. "Yeah…I can drive." She suddenly remembered the gun she had thrown down, "What about the gun?"

"Throw it into the creek over there…" Alex told her.

Bianca noticed that Alex looked pale now, and she helped her into the passengers side of the car, her motions robotic. She wasn't sure what she was doing, but she knew she had to get Alex out of here. She needed help. She had to do _something_.

Bianca ran around to the driver's side and was about to press down on the gas when she noticed the gearbox to her left. She stared at it blankly.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked.

"It's a stick shift. I've never driven a standard car."

Alex closed her eyes, "Can anything else possibly go wrong today? Bianca, can you try? We have to get to that airfield. I don't think I can drive."

Bianca nodded. Of course she would try. She would do anything Alex told her to, but she didn't know where to start. Tears fell down her cheeks again. "Alex, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Sweetie, stop saying that. I'm not angry with you. Put the key in the ignition and press down on the clutch."

"The what?"

"The pedal on your left hand side. Press down on it, and then as you press down on the gas, you release the clutch at the same time, and put the car into first gear. "

Bianca tried to follow her instructions, but she released the clutch too soon and stalled the car.

"I can't do this, Alex," she said wiping hot tears from her cheeks.

"Yes, you can. Try it again."

She did and Alex winced as the car jerked itself a mere foot or so before stalling again.

"Bianca, try again. I know you can do this."

She tried again and stalled the car a third time.

"I can't..."

"Yes, you can. Do it again."

Her voice was so insistent that Bianca almost believed her this time. To her astonishment she somehow got the engine into first gear and the car started rolling onto the road.

"Bianca! Stay on the left hand side!" Alex yelled, as she spotted the first vehicle on the road since they stopped the car. It was a postal van and it was headed directly towards them, honking its horn loudly.

"Yeah…of course," Bianca mumbled as she moved the car to the correct lane. They were in the United Kingdom where the driver's seat was on the wrong side, people drove on the wrong side and just getting the car to move seemed to require an engineering degree. It was all so damn complicated.

Bianca heard Alex breathe a sigh of relief as they narrowly missed hitting the postal van. "If you can keep a steady pace we'll be at the airfield in less than an hour..." she told her.

"It'll be okay," Bianca mumbled, cluthing on to the steering wheel. "I'll get us there. I promise." A few minutes of steady driving almost made her believe her own words, until she heard Alex gasp.

Bianca took her eyes of the road for the first time since she got on it and turned to Alex, who was now pale as a sheet. "Alex, what is it? What's wrong?"

She was doubled over in her seat.

"Alex?" Seeing her like that scared her, but she didn't dare stop the car. Instead she sped up. They_ had_ to get to that plane. Had to. "Alex...you said the bullet didn't hit you..."

Alex was clenching her teeth. "It didn't...it just...oh god, it hurts!"

Bianca's lip trembled. She had never seen her like this. Alex Marick didn't lose her cool. But now she looked scared to death.

"Bianca…I'm pregnant… and I'm worried…that there's something really wrong."

_Pregant? _Alex was pregnant?

What if she were to lose the baby because...

Bianca's eyes filled with tears again. "Hang on, Alex, please. I'm going to find a hospital...please, please, be okay."

She didn't know how to drive this car, or where she was going, or what real anymore. But somehow she knew she'd find a way. A way to make sure Alex would be alright.

_Inside Charlotte Devane's Compound- near Cardiff, Wales_

Shawn O'Malley and Dimitri Marick ran down the corridor of the basement, weapons drawn, when all of a sudden, in the far distance, O'Malley spotted the outline of a short, balding man.

"Hey, you!" he yelled. "Don't move!" He pointed his gun in Nigel Hawthrop's direction.

"That's him," he told Dimitri, "We have to get him! He's the only other person who might know Max's whereabouts."

Nigel ignored O'Malley's order and ran in the opposite direction.

Thankfully, he was slow and Dimitri and O'Malley caught up to him in a matter of seconds.

O'Malley jumped onto his back as he was running and knocked him down onto the cold, stone floor. He pinned back Nigel's arms and cuffed them together, rendering him partially immobile.

Then he turned Nigel around, so that he was lying with his back to the floor, on top of his arms.

"I have a feeling you know what we've come for," O'Malley told him, his boot resting firmly on Nigel's chest.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Nigel said, coughing.

O'Malley gave Dimitri a signal to let him know he would handle Nigel and Dimitri nodded to let him know he understood.

He pressed his boot down harder on Nigel, "We're looking for a little boy, by the name of Max. I know that you know where he is, Nigel. I'm going to give you two choices, you can tell us where he is and _live_, or you can choose to _die_. Do we understand each other?"

"Charlotte Devane brought him here a few days ago. That's all I know."

O'Malley pressed down even harder on Nigel's chest, "So he was here in this compound?"

Nigel wheezed, gasping for air, "Yes. He was here, but a couple of days ago Charlotte had him taken away."

O'Malley kneeled down and pushed his knee onto Nigel's neck, "I don't believe you. I think he's still here."

Nigel shook his head, "No…he's gone."

O'Malley slapped him hard across the face, "Where did she take him?"

Nigel shook his head again, barely able to breathe with O'Malley's knee pressed into his neck. "I don't know!"

O'Malley slapped him again, cracking his lips this time. "Of course you know! You're her right hand man. She wouldn't undertake anything without consulting with you. Now, I suggest you start taking me seriously and tell me where he is!"

"I told you, I don't know!"

O'Malley slapped him again, as he pulled his head back by grabbing on to a chunk of his hair, "Charlotte is an injured woman who can't even walk without the aid of a cane, much less do her own dirty work. Don't take me for an idiot. Tell me _where he is!_"

The pain of O'Malley's abuse had brought tears to Nigel's eyes, and when they trickled down, they mixed with the blood on his face. "She…she took him out of his room a few days ago and she drove away with him. When she came back, the boy was no longer in the car with her. _That_ is all I know."

Dimitri listened to him, deathly afraid that he was telling the truth. 'Could she really have killed him?' The thought entered his mind just long enough to chill him before he forced himself to push it back out. 'No, I won't believe that. Not now. Not ever. It's what she _wants_ me to believe.'

O'Malley yanked Nigel around, turning him onto his stomach. Then he grabbed hold of one of his fingers and pushed it back, "I don't believe you."

He kept pushing Nigel's finger back, until he heard the bone crack, breaking it. Nigel gasped out in pain. "I told you I don't know!"

O'Malley grabbed another finger, "Stop lying to me!"

"I'm not lying to you, I don't know anything about Max! Charlotte wanted it that way!"

O'Malley took the second finger and bent it back far enough to break it too, before grabbing a third one. Nigel was screaming in pain now and Dimitri could no longer stand to watch. The ease and efficiency with which O'Malley tortured Nigel Hawthrop sent shivers up Dimitri's spine.

O'Malley slapped him again and broke the third finger. "If you don't tell me, you _will_ die tonight!" O'Malley told him, grabbing hold of yet another finger. "Are you grasping that yet?"

_"I don't know anything!"_

O'Malley took the fourth finger and bent it back too, about to snap it as he had done the others, but this time Dimitri stepped in. "Stop it! That's enough."

O'Malley kicked Nigel in the side, before pulling Dimitri aside, leaving the other man moaning on the ground.

"I know this is hard to stomach, Mr. Marick, but please understand that this man is a pro. He's loyal to the core and his tolerance for this is much greater than what it appears. I also think he's lying. He knows something," he whispered to Dimitri, "Please, let me do my job and find out. Let me help you find your son. I know my methods seem cruel...but this is the only way, Mr. Marick..."

"No. No more. "Dimitri shook his head, "Not like this, I can't watch this…even if he does…" He didn't have the chance to finish his sentence. The sound of sirens suddenly filled the air. They were deafeningly loud. It reminded him of the bomber alarms at Vadsel, alarms that would be tested on occasion, long after the end of the Second World War. Just to ensure that they still worked.

"It doesn't matter now..." O'Malley told him, "Someone's triggered an alarm. We have to get out of here while we still can. I'll radio David, Brett and Stephen."

"But what about Max?" Dimitri asked him. "What if he is here?"

O'Malley was on the radio with Brett and shook his head, "I'm sorry, Mr. Marick. Brett's telling me they combed the entire two story basement levels and there was no sign of Max. We may have to accept the fact that he's not here."

Hearing O'Malley voice his fear out loud somehow made it real. Unbearably real. "But if we leave here without him...what then? Where do we go from there?"

O'Malley was already pushing him down the corridor, "I wish I could tell you I knew, but right now you need to put that thought aside and focus only on getting out, is that clear?"

Two armed guards fired into their direction from the end of the hallway. "Run!"

They ran in the opposite direction of the gunfire, Dimitri ahead of O'Malley who fired back to provide them cover.

"Don't look back," O'Malley yelled at Dimitri, _"Keep running!"_


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter XXV

_Con un cavallo  
Vanno avanti  
In questa grande  
Oscurita _

_With a horse  
They progess  
Through this immense  
Darkness _

_Local airfield, near Cardiff, Wales_

Getting out of Charlotte Devane's compound after the alarms were triggered was considerably more difficult than getting in.

Dimitri was certain that the only reason they did get out was because the agents who responded to the alarm had no instructions whatsoever from Charlotte or Nigel and were at loss at what to do with the unexpected intruders.

The other two men, Brett and Stephen had met up with them in the hallway and they too fired back, covering for Dimitri. Shots had flown back and forth and one of them hit Stephen in the thigh.

Still, under O'Malley's lead, they made it out of the building with no man down.

David had the Mercedes waiting at the gates and O'Malley had told him get out of it and into the surveillance van instead, so he could take a look at Stephen's wound while en route to the airfield.

Dimitri, meanwhile, had joined O'Malley in the Mercedes.

Once they were on the road he was surprised to see that no vehicles from the compound were giving them chase.

"I don't expect them to," O'Malley told him. "The agents that came after us inside the building were only protecting their territory. Charlotte's organization has always been shrouded in secrecy. Chasing an intruder down a local highway wouldn't exactly be a discreet, unobtrusive kind of thing to do."

Dimitri rubbed his temples. His head was pounding and he tried to make sense of what had happened inside the compound.

He had killed Charlotte Devane before he was able to get a single useful bit of information out of her. Then O'Malley had interrogated Nigel Hawthrop with even less effective results.

It had all been a collosal waste. A monumental failure. They were further than ever from finding his son. If he was still alive.

'Stop it,' Dimitri clenched his lips. 'Don't you dare give up on Max.' At least they'd gotten Bianca. It was worth it for that, he tried to remind himself.

"What in the world will I Alex?" he asked himself.

"Mr.Marick? Did you say something?"

"I... was wondering about Stephen. Do you think he'll be alright?"

O'Malley smirked. "Oh yeah. It was a flesh wound. A walk in the park for my old buddy."

"I'll see to it that's he's compensated."

O'Malley nodded, "I don't doubt it, Mr.Marick."

Dimitri said nothing, propping his elbow against the window. It was starting to rain, making the landscape outside look as bleak as he felt.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Marick," he heard O'Malley say. "I'm so sorry we didn't find your son today. But I want you to know I'm not giving up. I will find him...no matter what, or how long, it takes."

Dimitri nodded. It was a hard promise to make but it didn't surprise him that O'Malley was making it. He was a man of his word.

"Thank you. For saying that...for not giving up."

They drove in silence for almost an hour, when Dimitri saw the surveillance van in front of them pulling in towards the final stretch of road that would lead to the airfield. He closed his eyes, searching for words that might offer Alex some sort of solace when she would see that he had come back without Max. That their son was further from their grasp than he had ever been. The news would kill her. 'Please...let me be strong enough for both of us.'

"At least we got Bianca out," O'Malley pointed out. "We accomplished something. And Bianca might be able to give us some sort of lead on Max. She might know something."

"Yes," Dimitri agreed. He had to remind himself that it was worth for that. He loved Bianca like a daughter.

"I'm sorry for the news you'll have to give wife, Mr.Marick. Please reassure her that I'm not giving up."

"Alex knows you've done everything in your power to help us get him back. We're both indebted to you for what you've done today. For all that you've risked."

"I couldn't do the one thing you hired me to do, Mr.Marick. I couldn't keep your son safe."

"You couldn't read the desperate mind of one of your men. You're not psychic. I'm the one who was there when it happened. Don't you think I don't blame myself every night for not doing more…for not doing _something_?"

"I'm the one who should have watched Molina more closely. There must have been signs…" O'Malley countered.

Dimitri managed a chuckle, "Greed hides itself well, doesn't it? Even I used to be a victim to it. I always wanted more, until I was diagnosed with a fatal illness…and I suddenly realized how very little the things I used to think were so important really mattered. The things that do matter are so much simpler; a good meal with the woman you love, watching your son laugh when he sits on a horse for the first time…" he stopped himself, unable to go on. He was rambling.

"We're almost there, Mr.Marick," O'Malley said quietly, seeing the jet on the tarmac. He watched as the van pulled up towards it. The airfield was a local one that attracted little international air traffic. From here they would fly to Dublin and from there over the Atlantic back to the United States.

They watched as David and Brett helped Stephen from the van, and, after parking the Mercedes, Dimitri and O'Malley made their way towards the Lear Jet.

Erica ran towards them as soon as they entered the plane. "Thank God you're back! I was going out of my mind worrying!" She looked at all of them, watching David help Stephen onto the bed at the rear.

"Where's Bianca?" Erica asked.

Dimitri stared at her, "What do you mean? Bianca and Alex should be here with you." His heart skipped a beat. "Are you saying they're not here?"

His panicked expression was mirrored in O'Malley's face. "They should have arrived well before us."

"What do you mean?" Erica demanded. "You're the first ones to get here!"

There was a sudden deathly silence in the aircraft cabin, broken by David who was emerging from the rear of the plane. "Alex and Bianca are _not_ here? Alex left the compound long before I did, she has to be here..."

Erica's face took on a panic stricken expression, "Are you not listening to me? I said you're the first ones to arrive! Why did Bianca go with Alex?"

Dimitri looking around frantically, as if somehow Erica might have missed them. "They _have_ to be here…"

O'Malley raised his hand, "We shouldn't panic. There could be any number of perfectly reasonable explanations as to why they could have been held up along the way."

Erica didn't look as though she was envisioning reasonable explanations. "Maybe they got into an accident ! I swear to God, if Bianca's hurt because of Alex's reckless driving I'll kill…"

David moved towards her, trying to place his arms around her shoulders, even though she pushed them off. "Erica…please…"

Dimitri glared at her.

"Don't you tell me to calm down! You should have seen her on the way to that village. Alex almost got us both killed! You weren't in the car with her!"

David made her sit down, "Erica, stop it! We have no idea what's making them late!"

O'Malley ignored them both and turned to Dimitri. "Alex didn't have a radio, but she was carrying a cell phone wasn't she? Call her on it."

Dimitri was already dialling the number. He frowned. "There's no signal. Either it's turned off or there's no reception where they are." He clasped his phone tightly, before throwing it against the wall of the cabin in frustration. "Dammit!"

David left Erica's side and walked towards him, "Hey...if there had been an accident, we would have seen it, or traces of it, on the way here, right? They took the exact same route we did."

"Unless they were diverted from it..." Dimitri mumbled.

"Hayward's right." O'Malley told him."To be honest, I'm worried about Bianca, not about a potential accident." He turned to Brett, "How was she when you took her out of the compound?"

"I believe she was under the influence of drugs."

Erica stood up again, losing the colour in her face. "What are you saying?"

O'Malley looked at David. "Do you think it's possible she became ill on the way here and that Alex decided to take her to a hospital?"

David shrugged his shoulders, "I guess…sure, it's possible."

"But Alex is a doctor, couldn't she have helped her out herself?" Erica asked. "Oh my poor baby...will this ever end?"

"Alex couldn't have done much for Bianca without any equipment on hand, doctor or not. If the drugs Bianca was given caused her to experience some sort of cardiac distress I think Alex would've opted to take her to a hospital," David explained. "Or maybe Bianca isn't the one who..." He stopped himself mid-sentence.

Dimitri stared at thim, "Isn't the one who what? What are you suggesting?"

David bit his lip. "Nothing."

It wasn't nothing, that much Dimitri could tell. "Is there something about Alex you're not telling me?"

David frowned, defensive. "No."

"Wouldn't Alex have called one of us if she had to take Bianca to a hospital?" O'Malley asked all of them. "She has contact number, at least for you Mr. Marick, right?"

"Maybe it _just_ happened," Dimitri suggested, more to calm his own nerves than anything else. "After all, if Bianca were seriously ill, phoning us might not have been the first thing on Alex's mind. But of course that doesn't explain why she isn't answering her phone..."

"Iis it possible they got lost on the way here?" David suggested.

This time it was O'Malley who shook his head, "It's an easy route, and Doctor Marick knows this area well."

"We should start calling the local hospitals," Dimitri suggested."We don't have time to waste."

O'Malley agreed. He picked up Dimitri's cell phone off the floor and called the operator to obtain the numbers.

"If they are at a hospital, would Alex have checked Bianca in under her own name?" David asked them.

O'Malley frowned, looking at Dimitri, "For once I hope your wife didn't do the smart thing, and that she did check her in under her own name, otherwise we'll never find them."

Erica was crying now, "Oh my baby. Please let her be alright…"

O'Malley suddenly raised his hand and motioned for the others to be quiet. He turned off the phone after he finishing his call and met them with a somber look. "I just spoke to Cardiff General Hospital…there was a woman bought in with a gunshot wound."

"Oh god! No!" Erica cried out.

O'Malley turned to Dimitri, who knew what he was going to say before he said it.

"It wasn't Bianca."

_Cardiff General Hospital, Cardiff, Wales_

O'Malley, Dimitri and Erica drove to the hospital together in the Mercedes, leaving David behind on the plane with Brett and Stephen.

O'Malley had barely brought the Mercedes to a halt when Erica opened the door and ran towards the Emergency entrance.

Dimitri held his head in the palm of his hands, immobile.

"Mr.Marick, are you alright?" O'Malley asked him, concern etched in his tired face.

"I don't know..." Dimitri answered, staring out the window. An ambulance had pulled in ahead of them, its siren still wailing. "I don't understand, how could Alex have been shot? David said he didn't see anyone follow her from the compound…" Dimitri's hands were shaking. "On the way to the plane I didn't know whether I'd be able to face telling her that we couldn't get Max. And now this...I just don't know what to do anymore…"

"The doctor didn't say much on the phone," O'Malley said gently. "But I'm certain if her injuries were critical he would have said as much. I hope that's some reassurance for you, Mr. Marick."

Dimitri stayed in his seat, making no efforts to get out.

"We should go inside," O'Malley told, "Before Erica, does…well, you know…"

Dimitri nodded and slowly, hesitatantly, opened his door. He followed O'Malley into the ER. It was crowded and busy, but not nearly as hectic and chaotic as a similar inner city hospital in the United States would have been.

Dimitri spotted Erica at the nurse's station. Her arms were in the air as she tried to make a point. "I said _Bianca Montgomery_, I'll spell it for you..."

The nurse immediately let her know it was not necessary, "I already told you, no one by that name has been admitted."

Erica was annoyed at the nurse's indifference, and her unwillingness to let her finish her sentence, "Listen, we called this hospital and were told our friends were here. Now, my name is Erica Kane," she said it slowly and with emphasis, hoping some sort of recognition would sink in, after all Enchantment did sell its products all over the UK, "and I'll try this _once_ more…"

Dimitri grabbed her shoulder, "Erica, no one said _Bianca_ was admitted…"

"Over here!" O'Malley waved to them from across the crowded waiting room. "I found her!"

Bianca was sitting on one of the chairs near the rear of the waiting room. Her eyes were locked in a vacant stare and a blanket was draped over her shoulders.

Erica ran towards her, overcome with emotion. "Bianca! Oh my darling…" She knelt down next to her. "Sweetheart, are you alright? Dimitri, she looks so pale, why is no one looking after her?"

Bianca said nothing, staring right past her mother.

Erica turned towards Dimitri, "Darling, what happened to you?" She took her daughter into her arms, holding her next to her as tightly as she could. Although Bianca didn't resist, neither did she respond to the embrace. Her arms hung limp at their sides.

"Dimitri, she looks awful…why in the world is no one examining her?" Erica whispered to him.

Dimitri also knelt down next to her, "Bianca, can you tell where Alex is?"

Bianca looked at Dimitri, her eyes starting to water at the question. "Upstairs…they took her up to the second floor."

Dimitri kissed her cheek, "Thanks, sweetie." Then he turned around to look for an elevator or a stairwell. "You stay here with them, please," he instructed O'Malley.

Bianca moved a hand to the spot where Dimitri had kissed her on the cheek and started to sob. The sobs made her body shake uncontrollably and Erica tried in vain to soothe her. "Oh sweetheart…" She had never seen Bianca as distressed as this.

Erica got up and shouted into the waiting room, "Excuse me! Somebody help me! I need a doctor for my daughter!"

She glared at O'Malley, "Don't just stand there! Help me find her a doctor!"

Meanwhile Dimitri had made his way to the second floor, spotting a doctor in walking down the corridor. "Excuse me!" he called out after him.

The doctor turned around, "Yes. Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for my wife, I was told she up here…Her name is Alex, Alexandra Marick."

The doctor's lit up in recognition of the name. "Yes…she was brought in by a young woman." He looked at Dimitri with an expression that he couldn't make out. Was it sympathy? Suspicion?

"Are you her husband?"

Dimitri nodded.

"Why don't you come with me and have a seat."

Dimitri didn't want to sit down. "Is my wife alright?"

"Your wife was brought in with a gunshot wound to the upper arm. The wound itself is not life threatening. It will completely."

Dimitri allowed himself to exhale. "So…she's alright?"

The doctors face was serious as he looked at Dimitri, "Are you aware that your wife is anemic?"

"Yes…of course."

"The nature of the wound caused her to lose a considerable amount of blood which in turn triggered a shock to her system. It also…" he paused for a second, "…it also triggered a miscarriage, Mr.Marick."

Dimitri stared at him, uncomprehending, "Miscarriage? What are you talking about?"

The doctor lowered his voice, "I'm very sorry Mr.Marick. We tried but we couldn't save the baby."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter XXVI

_E il bambino  
Con occhi chiusi  
Lui non si muove  
Perso e gia _

_And the boy  
Eyes closed  
Doesn't move  
He's already lost _

_Cardiff General Hospital, Cardiff, Wales_

"_I'm very sorry Mr.Marick. We tried but we couldn't save the baby."_

Dimitri stared at the British doctor. His lips were moving but Dimitri couldn't hear what they were saying. He couldn't absorb anything.

_Alex was pregnant?_

"Mr.Marick, are you alright? I really think you should sit down, I know this is a shock for you. I'll have someone bring you a glass of water..."

Dimitri took a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair, still unsure of what to say.

The doctor gestured towards a chair, "Mr.Marick, won't you please have a seat?"

Dimitri shook his head, "No…I…I want to see my wife. May I see her, please."

The doctor pointed towards a room near the end of the hall, "She's in the room at the end of the hall, on the left. We gave her quite a bit of blood, as well as something for the pain. She might appear a little disoriented, but physically she _will_ be fine."

Dimitri walked down the hallway, pausing at the door of her room before entering. There were two other patients in the room, and he saw Alex at the far end, near the window. Her eyes were closed and there was a thick, white, bloodstained bandage wrapped around one of her arms.

He observed her in silence, wishing there was a way to transfer her pain onto himself. Wishing there was some way of undoing everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours.

God, he loved her so much.

He bent down and kissed her cheek, moving a strand of hair from her face. She opened her eyes in response.

"Dimitri…?"

He nodded, running his index finger along her face. "Yes…it's me."

Her eyes watered, filling with tears. "Dimitri…I'm sorry about the baby. I'm so sorry…I tried…"

She pushed herself off the bed, giving him the chance to wrap his arms around her. "Alex, it's alright...all that matters now is that you're going to be okay…"

"I should have told you… I tried so hard not to lose…Dimitri, I didn't want this to happen…oh god, I'm so sorry." She was sobbing. Hysterical.

Dimitri kissed her forehead, holding her tighter to stop her body from shaking. She felt small and fragile in his arms. "Alex…it's going to be okay. Don't blame yourself for this…it's going to be okay."

But it wasn't. Nothing would ever be okay again.

'How can anything be okay if I find out my wife is pregnant at the very same moment that I find out we lost our child?'

He watched as she wiped the tears from her eyes. His touch was the one thing that seemed to have a calming effect on her. "What about Max...did you find him?"

He averted her eyes. She could read them far too well.

"Dimitri…?"

"Max is fine…" he started, willing the conviction into his words.

"Dimitri, look at me..." Her hand gently turned his face towards her, sensing something wasn't right. "Where's Max?"

Dimitri felt the last vestiges of strength flow out of him. Was it really possible he had lost two children today? His own eyes filled with tears. He didn't have the energy to lie. "He wasn't there, Alex…I couldn't find him."

The look in her eyes broke his heart all over again.

"No Dimitri, I don't believe you…he _had_ to be there…he _had_ to be…don't tell me wasn't."

"I'm sorry..." There was nothing else to say.

Tears rolled down her face, mercilessly. "We have to find him Dimitri…"

Dimitri nodded, making her lie back down again. Helping her. Gently. She wasn't strong enough for this right now. "I know…we will."

He sank down onto the cold, tile floor, next to her bed. He had to turn away because he couldn't stand to see the look on her face.

Dimitri leaned his head against the bedside railing, his raised hand still holding on to hers, and wept.

_Emergency Room - Main Level_

"I don't think she's ill, Ms.Kane, she's in shock," O'Malley tried to reason with Erica.

"You don't know that," she told him, "You're not a doctor."

"No, but I've seen enough injured bodies to know how human beings react. Bianca's in shock." He sat down next to her, lowering her body onto the bench she was sitting on, putting her legs onto Erica's and his jacket under her head. "She needs to lie down and be kept warm. Keep her legs raised." He also loosened the belt on her jeans.

"What are you doing?" Erica demanded, about to grab his arm.

"Make sure her clothing's unconstricted...she needs to get her circulation going again."

O'Malley stroked Bianca's arm, "Good girl. Try and breathe deeply and slowly, can you do that for me?" She nodded, the slightest hint of colour returning to her face as her breathing steadied.

As her other sensations returned, she started to cry again.

Erica clasped her hand and rubbed her legs, "Shhh…Bianca. It's okay, you're safe now. No one is ever going to hurt you again."

Bianca tugged at O'Malley's arm.

"What is it?" he asked, softly.

"Alex…is she okay?"

O'Malley frowned. "I don't know. Dimitri went to check on her. I'm going to get a blanket for you."

Bianca held her hand to her mouth, "It's my fault. Everything's my fault…"

"Bianca, my darling," Erica tried to comfort her, "None of this is your fault."

"It _is_ my fault. _I_ shot her."

Erica caressed her hair, "Bianca, honey, you're sick and you've been drugged. You don't know what you're saying…"

Bianca grabbed her mother's shoulders, desperately needing her to understand what she was saying. "Mom, listen to me! _I_ did it…_I_ shot Alex!"

Erica pulled away from Bianca, staring at her in disbelief.

"Sweetheart, tell me that's not true…tell me you didn't shoot Dimitri's wife? Please tell me you didn't..."

_St.Agathe Hospital, Paris, France_

Robin Scorpio walked towards the nurse's station and saw her colleague, Pierre, writing something on a clipboard.

"Good morning," she said, not entirely sure why she was still bothering with pleasantries. She couldn't remember Pierre ever saying so much as a hello when he saw her.

"I know what you're going to ask me," he mumbled in reply, not bothering to look up at her.

"Well then, tell me what I want to know. Did you file a police report? It's been almost a day since the boy was brought in."

Pierre smiled a cynical smile, "I'm working on it as we speak. Maybe if you stop pestering me it'll get done faster."

Robin felt relieved to know that something was being done to find out where the boy had come from and what had happened to him. Pierre might not be pleasant to be around, but Robin hoped he wasn't entirely indifferent to the welfare of a seven-year old. "It's strange, but I've got this gut feeling that there's someone out there desperately looking for him."

Pierre snorted, "You're like a mother hen with every little injured kid that comes in here. How are you going to do this job for a living if you get attached to every one you treat?"

"That's not true," Robin countered, defensive. No one else she worked with took as much pleasure in putting her down. 'So I'm not a cold, clinical robot like you,' she thought, biting her tongue. 'How in the world are you ever going to inspire anyone into any sort of recovery?'

She got up to pour herself an espresso from the Faema machine in the corner of the station, a habit she had picked up since living in France. "There's something about him, I can't explain it…it's like, I feel drawn to him somehow."

"He's only seven Doctor Scorpio...I don't know about the United States, but here in France we wait until they are twelve." He laughed when he saw her disgusted expression. "It's a joke...pour me a cup as well."

Robin wasn't amused. "You're a sick, twisted person sometimes. You should stick to corpses, not live people."

Pierre played with his pen, "Hmmm…that's not a bad idea."

"Why don't you just let _me_ file the report?" she asked him.

"Because it's _my_ job. Why don't you go see our little gypsy and get him to talk. A kid his age should at least manage to croak out his own name, don't you think?"

'Anything to get away from you,' she thought. "I think I will." She left his espresso sitting on the counter and watched as he picked up the phone to call the local police office.

Pierre waited until Robin was out of earshot before he started speaking to an officer with whom he had filed countless other missing person reports before. An officer who was also an old school pal."Morning, Alain, two guesses as to why I'm calling..." he said, reaching for the the cup that Robin purposely hadn't handed him, before taking a sip of his espresso. "This time it's a little boy, maybe about seven or eight years old." He went on to describe when and where they had found him, his current health condition, a physical description and lastly, he paused, "And just between you and me, don't bother searching through any Interpol databases with this one, I guarantee you he's a local gypsy. They'll come and claim him before the end of the day."

On the other end, officer Alain DesRochers was just finishing a buttered croissant, "Thanks, _mon ami_, I appreciate that." He hung up the phone and took the last bite of his croissant. Normally, all lost children required an extensive computer search through the worldwide Interpol database for missing and kidnapped children. It was standard protocol. Had he done that he would have eventually found a listing, complete with DNA, blood type and physical description to perfectly match those given to him by Pierre, for one missing seven-year old American boy named Maximillian Dimitri Marick.

Instead, Alain DesRochers simply checked the necessary boxes in the report that stated he had done the computer search through the database, without having any intention of actually doing so. 'You just saved me at least two hours of pointless work, my friend.' Without having to do the Interpol search, he could concentrate immediately on his next case, a theft of valuables belonging to a pair of Russian tourists, stolen from a hotel safe deposit box.

At the same time as Alain Desrochers decided to file away the case of the lost boy, Robin Scorpio had made her way to Max's room, sitting down next to him on the bed.

He was wide awake, his dark brown eyes staring at her, as directly and unabashedly as only children's eyes dared.

"So, how are you doing today, my friend?" she asked him. She wasn't sure why she felt compelled to speak him in English rather than French. "Are you going to tell me your name today?"

Max looked at her and said nothing in reply.

"Can you hear me?" Robin asked, pointing to her ears, trying to establish whether he was deaf or not, before they would run a battery of tests on him.

He still said nothing but offered her what almost looked like a smile.

Suddenly, before he realized what she was doing, Robin pushed the lamp off the night table sending it crashing to the floor with a loud thud. Max jerked back, shocked by the unexpected noise.

Robin picked up the lamp and flashed him a victory smile, "Guess you're not deaf then, huh?"

In return his smile was lopsided now, as if aware of what she was trying to do and gearing himself up for the challenge, while at the same time congratulating her for having won the first round.

The more time Robin spent with him, the more convinced she became that he did understand her, and that he purposely avoided speaking. 'I think you're a clever little guy, but you picked the right person if you're looking for a challenge,' she thought.

She ran her fingers through his thick, dark hair, "You're pretty cute, you know that? And judging from the way you look, I think you're feeling a lot better than you did when you were first brought here."

She kept talking to him, hoping to elicit some sort of verbal response, but twenty minutes later, he was as adamantly silent as he had been when she first entered the room.

"You're not making this easy," she sighed. Spending this much time with any one patient was a luxury. There were at least a dozen others with far more pressing injuries and ailments that deserved her attention. "I should go now," she told him and she could have sworn she saw a trace of disappointment in his eyes.

'Judging from the way you look at me, I could swear that you do understand me,' she thought, frustrated.

She took a look at his right wrist, still heavily bandaged. "Does it still hurt?" she asked softly.

He shook his head.

The realization of what his gesture meant, made Robin grin from ear to ear. "Aha! I got you! You really _do_ understand me, don't you?"

Max closed his eyes and pouted, upset at having given himself away so easily.

"Aw...sweetie, come on, it's alright to admit it," she chided, moving as close to him as he would allow. "I promise you, I won't let anyone hurt you and no one is going to take you anywhere you don't want to go, but you've got to help me a little bit. Just tell me your name…that's all."

She stroked his cheek with her hand. His skin was soft and smooth. "I promise you, cross my heart…"

Max looked at her, biting his lip, hesitant and uncertain, while he weighed his decision.

"Max…my name is Max," he mumbled the words so softly, his voice was barely a whisper.

Robin's eyes lit up upon hearing his voice for the first time. 'I knew it,' she thought. He spoke with a soft English accent that reminded her of her mother.

Tears had formed along the rims of his eyes, as if the knowledge of what he had done was overwhelming.

'You're so afraid that if I know who you are I'll take you back to where you came from...'

Robin wanted nothing more than to comfort him. She moved her arms around him in a hug. "Sweetie, it's okay. I meant what I said. I won't let anyone hurt you or take you anywhere you don't want to go."

She sat by his bedside and held him, longer than she intended, wondering what could possibly make him so afraid.

_Cardiff General Hospital, Cardiff, Wales_

After Bianca's revelation, O'Malley left her and Erica alone. A part of him wanted to stay and hear the whole story, but he knew it wasn't his place. Whatever happened was an accident, that much was obvious from Bianca's reaction. For now he would leave the whys and hows between mother and daughter. 'You've got your hands full there, Ms. Kane,' he thought sadly.

Leaving the two women, O'Malley went to look for Dimitri and thanks to the directions of a nurse, he found him seated on the floor, next to his wife's hospital bed, in a room on the second floor.

O'Malley had seen many things, some of which he would just as soon forget, and yet the sight of Dimitri Marick sitting on the floor, at his wife's bedside stirred something inside him that he didn't think he was still capable of feeling.

It was such an intimate connection between husband and wife that O'Malley felt like an intruder just by standing there, observing them. He coughed as he walked into the room to alert Dimitri Marick to his presence, tapping him lightly on his shoulder. "Mr.Marick, may I speak to you for a moment?"

Dimitri nodded, wiping tears from his eyes, composing himself. He left the room with O'Malley.

"How is your wife?" O'Malley asked him.

"The bullet grazed her…she'll be fine."

O'Malley looked at Dimitri, sensing there was something else he wasn't telling him. "I'm glad. That's good news."

"We have to get out of here, don't we?" Dimitri asked.

O'Malley nodded. Dimitri had spared him the difficulty of pointing it out. He lowered his voice, "I don't want to jeopardize your wife's well-being. But if her injury isn't serious, I would strongly advice that we try and get out of here as soon as possible. We broke into a government facility today and killed a woman. Whether or not Nigel Hawthrop goes to the authorities with that knowledge or not is almost beside the point. He could be sending his own agents after us. And anyone brought to a hospital with a gunshot wound in the UK is automatically investigated by the local police. I don't think we can afford to have that happen."

Dimitri held up his arm, "Shawn, Alex can't leave tonight…"

"But I thought you said…?"

"I want you to take Bianca and Erica back to the airfield as soon as possible. Fly back to Pine Valley with them and arrange for a change of flight crew when you get there. Then send the plane back here for myself and Alex."

"Mr. Marick when do you plan on flying back with...?"

"Just do it."

"Fine," O'Malley replied. "I'll drive them to the airfield and I'll come back here and stay with both of you until you're ready to leave."

"That's not necessary," Dimitri insisted, "I'll take care of Alex. I don't want anymore people hurt because of Charlotte Devane, yourself included."

"Yes, sir." O'Malley said nothing and turned around, heading towards the Emergency Room waiting room.

'Sorry, Mr.Marick,' he thought as he walked down the stairs, 'That's one order I won't follow.'

Shawn O'Malley had worked for his share of wealthy clients. Most of them enjoyed excesses and along with ethics of convenience that had left a bad taste in his mouth. But Dimitri Marick was different. Dimitri Marick was one employer he genuinely respected. There was a sincerity about him that was rare and the love he had for his wife and family was deep and real. O'Malley knew exactly what Dimitri Marick had gone through to get Alex back from Charlotte Devane's world. Unlike most of his old employers, Dimitri Marick had fought hard for his happiness. Because of it, it seemed like he treasured it all the more.

'I'll take the others back to the US,' O'Malley thought, 'As you asked me to, but then I'm coming back here to make sure you and Alex get back safe too. If anyone comes after you here, they'll have to go through me first.'


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter XXVII

_Ma ad un tratto  
Il bimbo trema  
Dalla paura  
Freddo si fa _

_But suddenly  
The boy trembles  
With fear  
It gets cold _

_Cardiff General Hospital, Cardiff, Wales _

_One day later_

Dimitri Marick checked his Omega watch in the brightly lit hospital corridor. It was 1:17am. 'You'd never think it was night outside, judging from the brightness of the light in here,' he thought tiredly.

O'Malley was waiting outside with the Mercedes, ready to take them to the airfield where his jet was now waiting after having dropped off Erica, Bianca, David, Brett and Stephen in the United States the day before. In spite of Dimitri's insistence that he stay there with them, O'Malley had returned to Wales along with the plane's new pilot.

"Excuse me, sir, visiting hours are over," a red haired nurse pointed out to Dimitri, when she saw him in the corridor.

Dimitri managed a smile, "I know. I just…I left my wallet in my wife's room. I had to come back for it. I'll be gone again before you know it."

"Please be quick, most patients are asleep," she said, her glance losing its sterness in response to his easy charm.

Dimitri nodded, "I will." He made his way to Alex's room, where one of the two other patients was snoring loudly. Alex was already awake when he sat down next to her, helping her get dressed in silence. The thick bandage around her arm made it nearly impossible to put on a sweater and she wouldn't have been able to do it on her own. Once she was dressed he helped her put on a bathrobe that would cover her street clothes.

Her movements were slow and lethargic and it worried Dimitri. "Are you sure you're okay to do this?" he whispered.

She nodded in the darkness. Tomorrow a police officer was scheduled to see her first thing in the morning to question her about the shooting. They had no choice but to leave the hospital before then.

"All you have to do is make your way downstairs to the side doors past the ER. I'll meet you there and take you out to the car where O'Malley is waiting, okay?"

She nodded again.

Dimitri held his hand under her chin, "Darling, look at me. Are you sure you can do this?"

"I'm fine," she whispered. Her eyes had a faraway look.

'Neither of us is anywhere near fine,' he thought with a frown. He was amazed he was still capable of coherent thought. It had been over 48 hours since he had last slept and his bones were aching with exhaustion. He kissed her forehead, "I'll be waiting for you downstairs."

Again she said nothing and her silence was starting to frighten him.

"Wait a few minutes after I've left, so the nurse doesn't get suspicious if she sees you in the hallway."

"Okay."

He kissed her again, "I'll see you downstairs." He made his way to the elevators, rubbing his eyes in the brightness of the corridor. Yesterday he had killed Charlotte. He had been unable to find Max. Alex had been shot and lost a child he hadn't known existed. And yet, for the time being the only thing he allowed himself to concentrate on was getting out of the hospital, out of the United Kingdom and back home to Wildwind. 'And then it will sink in, everything that happened,' Dimitri realized with a shiver.

'One step at a time, one step at a time…' he reminded himself as he got into the elevator.

Once he was outside the main entrance of the hospital, he stood and waited for Alex to come out. He waited almost twenty minutes before he finally saw her in the doorway. She wore only the sweater and jeans he had helped her put on earlier, having shed the bathrobe on the way down so as not to look like a patient. She shivered in the crisp November air.

Dimitri draped his jacket around her, "O'Malley's car is right over there." Alex walked unsteadily. Dimitri turned around to make sure no one was looking before he swept his arms underneath her to carry her. The fact that she didn't protest frightened him more than her earlier silence. When they got to the Mercedes he helped her into it and with O'Malley behind the steering wheel the three of them drove to the airfield without another word.

The jet was waiting on the tarmac and they were inside it in minutes.

O'Malley managed a pleased smile, "That was very smooth. I doubt they even realize you're missing yet, Dr. Marick."

Dimitri caught the way O'Malley looked at Alex and the concern in his usually impassive face told him more than anything he could have said.

Now that he saw Alex in the light of the plane's cabin, her appearance shocked him. She looked like a shadow of the woman he knew so well. Her face was lifeless and pale and it seemed as though it took a monumental effort for her just to stand up. Eyes that were normally animated, intelligent, and constantly taking in everything around them were now distant and vacant.

'Maybe I shouldn't have taken her from the hospital...' Dimitri thought, suddenly terrified that something might happen on the flight back. He should have faced the consequences of the police questioning instead. Why hadn't he begged Hayward to fly back with O'Malley? What if anything else were to happen...?'

His fatigue amplified his fears and he suddenly wanted to tell O'Malley that he had made a mistake, to take her back to the hospital.

"Thank you, for everything you've done for us…" Dimitri heard Alex tell O'Malley, while holding on to him, to steady herself. The sound of her voice helped him fight back his irrational fears. It would be alright. It was only an eight hour flight to Chicago. They had to leave the UK.

Her words seemed to embarrass O'Malley."Don't thank me yet, please. Wait until I find Max. And I _will_ find him."

"I know," she nodded, her eyes telling him she didn't believe him.

"You should lie down, sweetheart," Dimitri told her, helping her make her way to the back of the plane.

She didn't protest when he made her lie down in the bed at the rear of the plane. Dimitri covered her with a thick blanket. "Can I get you anything?"

"No."

Dimitri saw her wince when she turned around and brushed something against her arm. "If you're in pain, I can get you something," he offered.

She shook her head again, "No. I just want to sleep…I'm so tired."

"When we get to Pine Valley, I want you to check into PVH first thing and…"

"No." She didn't let him finish, "I'm not going to a hospital."

"Alex, you should be in a hospital right _now_. You had a miscarriage and you got shot…"

"No. I said no hospital," she said, letting him know it wasn't up for discussion. The determination in her voice was oddly reassuring. It was a glimmer of the old Alex.

It didn't matter, Dimitri thought. He had neither the energy nor the stamina for even the slightest argument right now. He switched off the light and went back outside to see O'Malley, whose own fatigue appeared to be catching up to him. O'Malley's eyes were bloodshot and the circles underneath them matched Dimitri's.

Dimitri sat down on the sofa and poured himself a generous glass of brandy, knowing it would knock him out cold within minutes. "Did you talk to Bianca on the flight home? Did she tell you how in the world Alex ended up getting shot?" It was the one question he still didn't have an answer for. Neither Alex nor Bianca had mentioned anything about it during the short times he had to speak with them in the last twenty-four hours.

O'Malley hesitated, "I think maybe it would be best if you spoke to Ms. Montgomery yourself."

"Don't tell me that," he said with as much force as he could muster, "Tell me what she said. I have a right to know."

O'Malley paused, "Ms. Montgomery said…she said _she_ was the one who fired the gun."

Dimitri put down his glass, suddenly wide-awake again, and stared at O'Malley in disbelief, "What did you say?"

_Erica Kane's Estate, Pine Valley, PA_

Erica Kane held a porcelain cup in her hand and gingerly sat down on the sofa with it, next to Bianca, "Sweetheart, will you drink some tea for me?"

Bianca took the cup, in silence, the soothing smell of chamomile entering her nostrils.

Erica pulled out two little white pills from an orange prescription container and put them in her hand, "Sweetheart, David gave me these for you. They'll calm your nerves. He says you're suffering from post traumatic stress. You went through a terrible ordeal but I promise I'm going to help you recover from it, no matter how long it takes."

"I'm not the one who got shot, Mom."

Erica stroked her daughter's hair, "Bianca, honey, you were drugged, you didn't know what you were doing. It's not your fault." She held the pills up to her mouth, "Won't you take these?"

Bianca pushed them away, starting to cry again, "Mom, I killed someone yesterday! I don't need pills to calm my nerves, I don't deserve to be calm, I deserve to feel terrible!"

"Honey, what are you talking about? O'Malley said that Alex is going to be perfectly fine! The bullet only grazed her!"

Bianca lowered her voice, "Mom, before we left the hospital in Cardiff, I saw the nurse who helped us when we got there. I asked her about the baby, and even though she wouldn't tell me, I knew what the answer was just from the way she looked at me...she lost it, Mom. She lost the baby because of me."

Erica looked at her puzzled, "You're not making any sense, sweetheart. I don't understand? What baby?"

She was sobbing again, hysterical. "Mom, Alex was pregnant. She told me in the car…after I shot her and she started to get this pain…Mom, she was so scared and she looked at me, like no one ever looked at me before…it's like she was asking me, '_How? How could you do this?_'"

Slowly, everything that Bianca was saying started to make sense to Erica. She remembered Alex's reaction at the pub after the phone call. She was pregnant. Of course, it all made sense now.

Erica put down the pills on the table and pulled Bianca towards her, "Oh my baby, my poor thing…"

Bianca kept talking, knowing she was rambling now, "Alex was scared Mom, like she _knew_ she was going to lose the baby…she was _so_ scared, and she kept looking at me, and I didn't know what to do…oh, Mom, how could I have done what I did?" She held her hand next to her heart, "It hurts, Mom. Every time I think of what I did, it hurts so much…"

She cried and sank into Erica's embrace. Erica didn't say anything anymore. There wasn't anything left to say. She held her tight, wishing she could somehow absorb her grief. She stroked her hair, kissing the top of her head. "It's going to alright, sweetheart. It is going to be okay." Yet even as she said the words, she thought of Dimitri. How in the world would Dimitri react once he knows what happened? How would she be able to face him, knowing her daughter had killed his unborn child?

_St.Agathe Hospital, Paris, France_

Robin Scorpio sat at the nurses station pouring two little purple pills into her hand and grabbing a cup of water to swallow them. As much as she hated her daily protocol regimen, she reminded herself, that she was one of the lucky ones. 'How many hundreds of thousands of young women in Africa, would give an arm and a leg to merely be able to take the drug cocktail that's readily available to me?' she wondered.

She had contracted HIV over a decade ago from her first love, Stone, finding out about the infection just as he himself had succumbed to the ravages of AIDS. Near the final stages of the disease, he had been so ill he had even lost his sight. She had loved him so much, with the pure heart of a teenager blown away by the intensity of love for the very first time. As devastating as the news that she had HIV had been, she had no regrets. Not then and not now. If she had to do it all over again, she wouldn't change a thing. Loving Stone had been worth it all.

Although the pills she took often made her sick to her stomach, they had so far, kept her from acquiring the AIDS virus. In fact, at one point her T-Cell count was so good that even the HIV virus was barely been detectable in her blood stream anymore. She would take the next four pills, with her evening meal, which would most likely take place in the hospital cafeteria.

She took a quick glance in the mirror, neither impressed nor disappointed with the reflection that stared back at her. She had been told that she was pretty, beautiful even, and that her youthful face needed little makeup. Not that this was the reason she didn't wear much of it at the moment. The truth was, she had little time for vanity these days. The only thing her patients cared about was her capacity as a physician and her compassion as a human being. 'I'm getting better at the first,' she thought, 'And as for the second, I've got good genes.' Her parents had instilled a good set of ethics and a genuine sense of decency in her. The extent to which her upbringing was reflected in her character was something she didn't fully realize until long after her parents were gone.

After her parents had died, she was more or less adopted by her uncle Mac, who had loved her as if she were his own daughter. While she had missed her parents terribly, she knew that as far as subsitutes went, she couldn't have asked for a better one than her uncle.

Thinking of her parents made her think of the little boy, Max, who was still lying in a hospital bed a few doors down he hall, with not a soul in the world who seemed to want to claim him.

'He seems so sweet and gentle, how is it possible nobody is missing that child?' she thought.

She saw Pierre walk by the nurse's station, "Hey, do you have any news on the boy? On Max?"

"Children's Aid is coming by to pick him up in a couple of hours. He won't be our problem any more soon."

"What did you say?" she asked him in surprise.

"He's not sick, Robin and he's taking up a hospital bed. We already took some blood when he was brought in, all I need you to do is a quick physical exam and sign it for the officer from Children's Aid."

"But what about the police report? Hasn't someone filled a missing child report? He only speaks English obviously he's not a local gypsy!"

"Just because he has an English accent doesn't mean he's not a gypsy. That's what they do, they travel from place to place, hence the name. And let's face it, your little friend hasn't exactly been very helpful. He hasn't told us anything except for his first name. He's not showing any sign of mental retardation. He's purposely making things difficult for us."

"He's scared!" Robin protested, irritated by his superior tone. "I'm sure if I had some more time to spend with him, he would start to trust me and open up to me."

Pierre shrugged, "We've got more pressing things to do than play shrink with a runaway pickpocket…"

Robin glared at him, "Stop calling him that! He's a little boy for heaven's sake!" She sighed, mumbling to herself, "What are they going to do with him?"

"They'll probably stick him in an orphanage or a foster home," Pierre answered, knowing she wasn't asking him, "Maybe once he's had a taste of life there, he'll start to remember his last name…"

Robin shook her head in disgust, "Fine. I'll go do the physical on him."

She exhaled and then took two deep breaths to get rid of her irritation before entering the room, smiling by the time she opened the door, "Hey there, sleepy guy. How are you doing?"

He looked at her, silently, his eyes lighting up at the sight of her presence.

She sat down next to him, "Come on. Stop playing games with me. You and I both know you can talk, tell me how are you? Does anything hurt?"

He shook his head.

Robin looked at him, frustrated. "Nope. That's no good enough, sweetie. _Tell me_ how you're feeling."

"I'm okay," he finally whispered, his expression hurt as if he was wondering why she suddenly sounded angry with him.

Robin caught his look and it made her want to do nothing but take him into her arms.

She smiled, venturing a brief kiss on his cheek instead, "That's it. You've got a beautiful voice, why don't you use it? Why don't you let me help you? Someone's coming to take you away to God knows where in only a couple of hours, and there's absolutely nothing I can do for you, if you don't tell me anything. Can you tell me about your parents, Max? Did they leave you in the park?"

He shook his head.

"No, don't shake your head. Talk to me, Max. Please!"

"No. They didn't leave me in the park," he confessed. His voice was still soft and hesitant, as though he was debating each tidbit of information he offered her.

"Can you tell me where they are then? Can you tell me your last name?" she asked him as gently as possible, afraid of frightening him back into stubborn silence.

"My parents are dead," he said, his lips starting to quiver as he spoke. He bit them, as if to stop himself from crying.

Robin looked at him, her heart breaking at the sight. "Oh, sweetie…I'm so sorry. Will you let me give you a hug?"

"No," he shook his head, then explained when he saw her reaction. "I don't want to cry."

Robin wiped away a tear of her own, "Geez, Max…you're making _me_ cry." What seven year old refused a hug because he didn't want it to make him cry? Maybe Pierre had a point, maybe she did get too attached to her patiens. But it was different with this boy, there something special about him that she couldn't explain.

Max watched her in silence, his big, dark eyes sombre now.

She pulled out her stethoscope, "Okay, I came here for a reason. I need to do a quick exam on you, will you lift up your shirt for me?"

He did as she asked him, and then started to laugh as the ice-cold metal touched his warm chest.

Robin laughed along with him, "So you're ticklish, huh? Here you think you can keep all these secrets from me. I now know something very deep and personal about you, my friend!"

She purposely moved the stethoscope along his side, watching him squeal with laughter.

"Stop it!" he cried out, laughing so hard it motivated Robin to put down the stethoscope altogether and start to tickle him in earnest, using her fingers.

He kept laughing and there was something about the sound of his laughter that made Robin stop, long enough to take a good look at him. There was something about the way his eyes lit up his entire face when he smiled that inexplicably reminded her of her mother.

"Are you mad?" he asked her, after she stopped so suddenly.

"No, no," Robin shook her head. "This is going to sound crazy but the way you smile really reminds me of my mom. She had the exact same eyes as you, very dark, always observing everything around them. But when she smiled they were full of warmth and mischief. They were so much like yours, Max."

He looked back at her in silence.

Robin laughed, "It is crazy, isn't it? But you know what? I think my mom would have liked you. You're a puzzle, Max, and she was good at solving puzzles." This time her own eyes lit up with a trace of mischief, "But…so am I. And even if you leave this hospital today, I won't stop trying to solve it just yet."

He pushed himself off the bed, his hand reaching for her stethoscope. "You're nice," he stated matter of factly.

Robin gave him a grin in return, "Yeah, too nice according to some people. But, I like you, so you give me an excuse to be nice, and besides, I get to speak English with you. I miss that sometimes."

She sighed, glancing at her wristwatch, "But for now we have more pressing things at hand. Like a physical for you, for instance." She pulled out a tongue depressor, "Okay, say 'Ah' for me."

It took her less than half an hour to finish the exam, even though she purposely took her time, not wanting to leave him just yet. When she was done, she gave him a wave and another kiss on the cheek, "Goodbye, Max…for now."


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter XXVIII

_Padre oh padre  
Tu non hai visto  
Re degli elfi  
Ecolo la _

_Father oh father,  
Haven't you seen  
The King of the elves,  
There he is _

_Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley, PA _

_One week later_

Dimitri Marick leaned against the stone mantle of his fireplace, holding a glass of amber coloured cognac in his hand. A sudden gust of ice cold air swept through the partially open window, making him shiver.

Dimitri put down the glass and moved to close the window. The forecasters had predicted snow tonight, just in time for the last week of November. It would be Christmas in less than a month.

Dimitri looked at the photograph of Max and Alex on the dresser next to the window. Max's arms were wrapped around her neck, the two of them laughing in the sunshine.

'It's all gone now…everything,' Dimitri thought, taking a sip of the cognac as he started to stoke the fire. He barely heard the door open, when Edmund entered the room.

"Mind if I join you?" his brother asked.

Dimitri shrugged his shoulders, "It's your home as much as it is mine."

Edmund poured himself a glass of the cognac from the decanter.

"How are you holding up?" he asked softly, knowing him well enough to know that he'd hate attempts at small talk. Or sympathy.

Dimitri turned around to face him, "You know what they say, 'One day at a time.'"

"I spoke to Derek this morning. He said they're continuing the investigation into the kidnapping. They're putting a lot of manpower into it and I have three of my own reporters digging into Charlotte Devane's underworld connections."

Dimitri smiled a bitter smile, "And what do they hope to find?"

Edmund met his brother's eyes letting him know he wasn't offended. "They hope to find your son, Dimi."

"Really? There was only one person who knew of Max's whereabouts and she's dead."

"You don't honestly believe Charlotte Devane orchestrated everything single-handedly, do you?"

Dimitri took another sip of his cognac, grateful for the warmth that filled his throat as a result. "I don't know what to believe anymore, Edmund."

Edmund paused, taking a moment to take stock of his brother's appearance. His eyes were still tired and rimmed with dark circles, a full week after his return from the United Kingdom."That's what she told you, isn't it? That she killed Max. It's the only thing that would have made you pull that trigger, Dimi."

Dimitri said nothing, holding up his glass against the fire in front of him, watching its flames change the colour of the cognac into a light, fiery amber. It was as though he was holding liquid gold in his glass.

Edmund touched Dimitri's shoulder, forcing him to turn around, "Tell me you didn't believe her. Charlotte was a master of lies and deceit. It would have been exactly what she would have _wanted_ you to believe, because she knew it would drive you mad with grief."

"You weren't there with her, Edmund. You didn't hear the things she said…"

Edmund put his glass down and shook his head, "It doesn't matter. She was an expert manipulator and she would have known precisely which words to use to get under your skin. I won't believe she killed him. Not until…"

"Until what? Until we find a body?"

"Dimitri…" Edmund didn't know what to say.

"It alright, little brother. You don't have to walk on eggshells. You're the one person in this world from whom I expect the cold hard truth." He paused. "You should know me better than to think I've given up on my son. I've asked O'Malley to put together an investigative team to try and find him…but I'm also realistic enough to know that we're looking for a needle in a haystack…and that if we do find him, we may end up finding a body." His hands shook as he spoke the words, reminding him that thinking he could handle the truth and actually doing so were two vastly different notions.

"I don't agree with you, Dimi. I've known Charlotte Devane and as evil and twisted as she may be, I don't think she could kill a seven year old boy. I just don't think it's possible."

"She ordered Alex _stabbed_ to death…her own daughter. What makes you think killing a child would be beneath her?"

"She had a lifelong vendetta against Alex, because she refused to be her pawn. It's different."

"Maybe you're right, Edmund…in fact I pray to God you're right this time."

"Speaking of Alex, how is she doing? I haven't seen her since you came back from Wales."

Dimitri's expression changed, "I don't know Edmund. She's barely left our bedroom since we've got back. She doesn't talk to me, getting her to eat is a struggle...she's hurting. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried like hell about her. I think she's given up and all she wants to do is turn her back to the world, close her eyes and shut everything out…I don't know what to do or what to say to her, I just don't know."

"Shouldn't she be in a hospital?"

Dimitri frowned, "Of course she should. But she refuses, says she knows better than I do whether she needs medical care or not." He managed a smile, "I can't really argue with that, can I?"

Edmund looked concerned, "Maybe this one time you shouldn't cave to her bullheadedness..."

"You're suggesting I admit her against her wishes?" Dimitri countered. "After everything that's happened?"

Edmund frowned, "Have you told her about Charlotte?"

Dimitri nodded.

"How did she take the news?"

"Telling her I killed the only person who knew of Max's whereabouts wasn't exactly the best news I could have given her, Edmund. It's as though I took away her last hope…_our_ last hope of ever finding him."

Edmund sighed, weighing his words before he uttered them, "It will take time, Dimi, but Alex _will_ come out of this. She's one of the strongest people I've ever met and as hollow as it might sound right now, but at least you've got each other to lean on. You have to put what happened in Wales behind you in order to move ahead. For Max."

Dimitri stared at the flames again, reaching up against the stone wall of the fireplace. 'And search for him until we go mad with the futility of it all…' he thought.

Edmund interrupted his thoughts, "Physically she'll be fine though, won't she?"

Dimitri nodded, still silent.

Edmund looked at him, "Dimi, was there something else? Something you haven't told me…"

"When Alex got shot, she was pregnant…" he told him softly.

"_Pregnant_? Oh god…Dimitri, I'm sorry."

"She lost the baby…because of the trauma of the shooting."

"I'm sorry…I had no idea."

Dimitri managed another bitter smile, "Neither did I."

"You mean...you didn't know she was pregnant? Alex didn't tell you? I don't understand...why?"

Dimitri shrugged his shoulders; "I don't know…to protect me from another complication? Because she knew I'd insist she stay behind in Pine Valley if I knew? Part of me was so was angry at first…angry and hurt for not having known. I felt...betrayed somehow. But now I can almost understand why she did it. She would have thought that I had enough to deal with at the time, without having to worry about something else…I can understand that reasoning because that's all we do these days, try and protect each other."

Dimitri paused again, rubbing his eyes. "And you know what? Every time we try to protect each other, we fail miserably at it. Every little thing I've done to try and keep Max and Alex safe has backfired. I hire bodyguards to keep my son safe and one of them decides to double-cross me. I insist Alex doesn't come camping with us, to keep her safe, and yet maybe, if she had been there, there would have been something she could have done. Once we're in Wales, I insist Erica accompany Alex to Brynn Wydd, against both of their wishes, and there she gets that blasted phone call from Bianca which brings her right back to Charlotte's compound…then, and this one really takes the cake, little brother, I insist Alex leave the compound with Bianca rather than wait for myself and the others, and Bianca turns out to be the deadliest component of this entire equation. Every decision I've made has hurt my family rather than keep them safe. _Everything_!" He threw his glass into the fireplace in a sudden fit of rage. "Dammit! Why can't I manage to do a simple thing, like keep my wife and son from harm? Why, Edmund, tell me why?"

Edmund was shocked at his sudden anger. "Stop it, Dimi! This is absurd…trying to blame yourself for the machinations of a madwoman like Charlotte Devane."

Dimitri ignored him, "Do you know how long Alex and I have been married? Nine years, Edmund. _Nine years_! And that's all we get, seven months of happiness? Seven lousy months, before everything falls completely, irreversible apart…Tell me, is that really what was meant for us? Maybe it's a sign that Alex and I were never meant to be…"

"You don't mean that, Dimi. You're angry and you're grieving. If anyone was ever meant to be together, it's you and Alex, and say what you will, but I know you _will_ overcome even this, as painful as it may be."

Dimitri cupped his face in his hands, feeling the exhaustion overwhelm him again. "I can't take it anymore, Edmund. I can't…I can't even bear to look at Alex; it hurts me too much to see her in pain and not be able to do a damn thing to help her. After everything she did to protect me, I promised her I'd keep her and Max safe and yet I do the exact opposite. It hurts too much, Edmund."

Edmund put his arm around Dimitri's shoulder. "This isn't your fault..."

"I know Alex blames me for losing Max…" Dimitri said softly.

Edmund drew back, "No…I don't believe that for one minute, Dimi…she would never blame you for that."

"She would never admit to it…but I know Alex has to think I'm responsible, because _I_ blame myself."

"None of this is your fault. And if you keep punishing yourself you're not going to be able to help yourself, much less help Alex, and god knows she needs you now, more than ever."

"No," Dimitri shook his head. "She doesn't need me, Edmund. All I do is hurt her...and I can't stand to do that anymore…I love her too much for that."

_Wildwind Estate-Main Doors_

David Hayward rang the bell again, and less than a minute after he did, a blonde woman, obviously an employee, opened the doors for him.

She smiled apologetically when she saw him shivering in the cold outside, "I'm sorry to keep you waiting Dr. Hayward. You're here to see Dr. Marick, right?"

He nodded and she pointed towards the wooden staircase, "Upstairs, third door on your right."

"Thanks." He sprinted up the stairs, clasping his medical bag in his hands.

He entered the bedroom and saw Alex half asleep, buried beneath at least two blankets.

He nudged her shoulders, "Hey…wake up. It's me."

She opened her eyes to glance at him and then turned around, "Go away, David."

He raised his eyebrows and curled his lips in a semi-smile, "Nice to see you too. Listen, Dimitri called me this morning, he asked me to take a lot at your wound. He says you haven't done much with it since you got back from the UK. He's worried, Alex."

"I'll change the dressing myself," she said, not bothering to turn around to look at him.

He laughed, "Oh, really? Did you grow a third arm sometime this week?"

"I said go away."

"I'm not leaving until you let me change the dressing."

"Do whatever you want, I don't care," she mumbled, still not making any efforts to face him.

"Fine, I'll just make myself comfortable." He pulled out a chair that stood in front of a vanity mirror and rested his feet on the bed.

He sat there for close to an hour, while Alex ignored him.

"I'm sorry about the baby," he said, finally breaking the silence, "I'm _really,_ really sorry, but lying here shutting out the world and wallowing in self pity is not going to help or anyone, not Max and least of all yourself."

She finally turned around to face him, "I don't care what you think. I just want you to leave me alone."

"I told you I'll leave when I've changed the dressing on your arm, if that means sitting here all night until you let me do it, that's fine by me."

She looked at him, resigned. "Fine. Do what you have to do, and then leave."

He got his medical bag and set it down next to her on the bed. She sat up and he watched her wince in pain from the movement. The bandage was heavily bloodstained and David looked at her in shock, "Alex, don't tell me you haven't changed this since you got back?"

She glared at him. "I don't need you to lecture me…"

He unwrapped the dressing as gently as he could, and even so, he could see her bite her lips to fight back tears. "Oh yeah, you definitely _do_ need me to lecture you," he shot back angrily. "Jesus Christ, Alex it's infected and it must hurt like hell. Are you _trying_ to kill yourself?"

He regretted the words almost as soon as he said them. It wasn't a question he wanted her to answer.

"Are you taking antibiotics?" He asked, more gently this time, already knowing the answer, "Of course not." He took out a bottle of pills, emptied one from the container and made her swallow it. "You are now. And if you don't convince me in the next couple of hours that you're going to keep taking them I'll check you into PVH myself."

"Just try it."

"In fact, I'll do better than that. I'll tell, Dimitri…because I'm willing to bet he has no clue what you're doing to yourself."

This time he had pushed a button.

"Don't you dare!"

He glared back at her, "Well, it's good to see something can still stir you into indignation. I never thought I'd miss your hostility. Look, I'm a doctor, Alex. I'm not going to sit by and watch you kill yourself." He waited for the words to sink in. "But I'm also your friend and it kills me to see you like this."

Tear had pooled in her eyes, "I don't need your help, David…I just need my son back."

Slowly and gently, David finished changing the dressing on her arm, and he pulled out another two pills from his black bag. "I can't give you your son back, Alex. Trust me, if I could, I would. But what I can do is help you get well to enough to start looking for him again." He poured her a glass of water, "Here, take these."

"What is it?"

"You need to take something for the pain."

"No."

He held the water next to her lips, "Yes, you _are_ going to take these. You're in a fog of pain and sorrow and self-pity and you have to do something to get out of it."

Alex shook her head.

"Take them or I'll get an injection. Your choice."

Alex glared at him again, swallowing them this time.

"Good decision. Now I want you to get up, change into some clothes and leave this room with me."

"No," she argued, "You said you'd leave after you changed the dressing. I let you do that, now leave me alone."

"What can I say?" David managed a grin. "I lied. You look terrible, Alex. You need to get out of this stuffy room, get some fresh air, some food. Have you eaten anything at all in the last few days?"

"Just go away, David. Think whatever you want…that I'm weak and full of self pity, I don't care."

"You're a lot of things, Alex, but weak is not one of them. If you want to try and fight me on this, go ahead, but you're not going to win. Not in your sorry state."

"You know how many times Charlotte told me I was weak in the last seven years? How many times she told me how much she hated the fact that she got stuck with the wrong twin, 'Anna turned out to be the warrior, the fighter…and me I ended up, with the healer, the weak twin instead of the strong one.' Maybe Anna would have found the strength to keep fighting but me, I can't…David."

"Sure you can. Now are you going to get up yourself or do I have to carry you?"

She tried to lie back down, but he stopped her by moving his arm around her back. "I mean it…you can make this easy or you can make this difficult. It's your choice."

He accidentally grabbed her injured arm, making her bit her lips.  
"Sorry…but you've got to stop fighting me, Alex."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll have a talk with Dimitri."

She lowered her head in resignation; "Look, I don't feel well. Don't make me go outside. I'll take the antibiotics, I promise you. Just leave."

He gave her a gentle smile, "Nice try. Of course you don't feel well. Who would, after spending a week in bed, in pain, with little food, and I bet, even less sleep." He held out his arm, "Come on, let me help you."

"Why do you have to be so difficult? Why do you even care?"

"I don't know, maybe I can't stand to see you self-destruct like this. You used to be one hell of an adversary, Alex. We might not have been on the same side then, but I always admired your fighting spirit. Maybe I want you to get it back because my life's kind of dull without it." He smirked, "Or maybe I don't want my own office after all. Come on, Alex, get up. I have some news I want to share with you and I don't want to do it here. "

He helped her get dressed and afterwards he brushed her hair back into a simple ponytail, thankful that she was too weak to put up any further protests. He found a warm, wool jacket in the closet and gingerly pulled her bandaged arm through its sleeve. When he was done, he held out his arm for her, "Let's go."

_Calais, Northern France_

Cesar Faison stood waiting impatiently inside a rusting, abandoned warehouse. A steady light rain fell outside, filling the old, port building with a salty, fishy smell.

It was the third time this week that he was meeting with one of Calais' local crime lords in order to elicit their help in finding Max.

He lit a cigar and glanced at Jan, "It's been over a week. I now have dozens of contacts looking for Max, and they haven't found so much as a trace of the bloody boy. How can a seven-year-old child jump out of a moving car in during rush hour in Calais, and _just disappear_? Tell me, how is that possible?"

Jan sighed, "I don't know. Maybe he wound up in some alleyway with a junkie who decided to do him in. Maybe he did manage to get on a train and he's on the other side of France now…who knows. He could be dead for all we know."

"Kids don't just run out into the street and die, Jan. At least in France they don't."

"If he's alive we'll find him."

"You can be damn sure we will," Faison growled, "I'm not going to be outwitted by a seven-year-old boy, even if that boy is Anna Devane's nephew. He's my ticket to getting to his mother."

And so he stood in the empty hall of the warehouse, watching his cigar smoke rise towards the corrugated tin roof, as he waited for the next criminal who would end up on his payroll.

_Near Cardiff, Wales_

A thick fog threatened to cover the funeral procession.

Not that a lot of fog was needed to cover the seven people in attendance.

Nigel Hawthrop closed his eyes and lowered his head in respect as he watched the coffin being lowered into cold, moist ground.

A lone bagpipe player played a haunting strain of 'Amazing Grace', and together with the thick, white fog, the entire scene took on a mystical air.

"Goodbye, Charlotte," he said softly, watching as one of the men in attendance threw a handful of earth over the coffin. Nigel released a single red rose that he had been holding and gently let it fall over the coffin as well.

"Thank you for coming," he told the six men and one woman in his presence. "Charlotte Devane will be deeply missed at Brynn Wydd. She was a leader who had no equal in her field. I can only say that I will do everything in my power to honour her life's work by continuing to run the organization in a way that would have made her proud."

"I have no doubts you will, Nigel," a man with a thick white beard stepped up to shake his hand, a hand that was almost completely encased in a thick white cast.

"Thank you."

Each of the attendees moved towards him and eventually shook his injured hand. He observed them leaving one by one as they made their way across the old cemetery and towards the heavy iron gates that marked its entrance.

Long after they left, Nigel Hawthrop still stood there, next to her grave, listening to the bagpipe player who would keep playing until no one else was there.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter XXIX **

_E il bambino  
Con occhi chiusi  
Lui non si muove  
Perso e gia _

_And the boy  
Eyes closed  
Doesn't move  
He's already lost _

_Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley, PA_

Erica Kane stood at the doors of Wildwind and rang the bell for the second time. She rubbed her hands together, mostly because of the cold and partly to calm her nerves.

Stella slowly opened the door, "Good afternoon, Ms.Kane, how may I help you?"

Erica furrowed her brows, wondering why she wasn't being asked to step inside, "I'm here to see Dimitri. May I come in?"

Stella gave her an uncomfortable glance, "I'm sorry, but Mr.Marick is not receiving any visitors at the moment."

"I'm not a visitor, Stella, I'm his ex-wife!"

Stella nodded apologetically, "I know Ms.Kane and I'm sorry, but Mr.Marick was very insistent that he did not wish to see anyone."

Erica gave her the sweetest smile she could muster, "My dear, it's freezing out here. Do you mind if I come in just for a moment, to warm myself?"

Stella looked hesitant but her inherent politeness couldn't resist Erica, "Alright, Ms. Kane."

Once she was inside, Erica walked towards the study, ignoring Stella who was following her, "Ms. Kane, please, you shouldn't go in there…"

Erica faced the young woman, "I have to see, Dimitri. It's incredibly important."

She saw Dimitri standing next to the fireplace and called out to him. By the time Stella caught up to Erica, she was already within feet of Dimitri.

"I'm sorry, Mr.Marick. Ms. Kane said she just wanted to step in from the cold to warm up."

Dimitri glanced at both of them, "It's alright, Stella. I know Erica can be very persistent." Then he turned to Erica, gesturing for her to enter the study, after which he closed the door behind her. "What is it that couldn't wait, Erica?" he asked her.

"Dimitri, it's Bianca. She's been a wreck since…since the shooting. She can't sleep, she won't eat, she cries all the time, she's so wracked with guilt I don't know what to do anymore to console her!"

Dimitri shrugged his shoulders, giving Erica a glance that she couldn't interpret. "What is it that you want me to do about that?"

Erica moved next to him placing her hand on his arm, "She needs to see Alex, to talk to her. I know, I'm asking for a lot, Dimitri…but I know that if Alex somehow forgave her...it would change things."

Dimitri brushed her hand off his arm in one quick movement, taking a step away from her. "Contrary to what you believe, Erica, Alex is not a spiteful person. She's well aware that Bianca was drugged at the time she fired the gun and she holds no malice towards her. Feel free to tell Bianca that," he told her frankly. "And if you want for Bianca to see Alex you have to talk to Alex, not me. I don't control whom my wife talks to."

Erica bit her lip, trying to grasp a sense of Dimitri's emotions, but he held them under tight control. "You know Alex can't stand me, Dimitri, I'd hoped that maybe you could speak to her…to let her know that Bianca feels terrible. Please, Dimitri."

He nodded, staring at her with distant eyes. "Fine. I'll tell her you were here. I'll ask her if she'd like to call Bianca. Now, if you'll be so kind as to leave. I'm really in no mood for a social call."

"Dimitri…there's one more thing…"

This time his eyes pierced hers. "What?"

"Is she…is Alex going to press charges against Bianca?"

Dimitri didn't answer her, and when she looked at him, Erica thought she heard the pounding sound of her heart beating in the ominous silence of the dark, paneled room.

"What did you say?" he asked her, incredulous.

"I need to know Dimitri."

Dimitri took a step towards her, his eyes locking with hers. "Is this a joke? Because the Erica I know isn't this callous..."

"What do you mean? I don't understand? " she asked, her breathing quickening. There was something about the tone of his voice that suddenly made her uncomfortable. 'This is ridiculous,' she thought. 'This is Dimitri, my ex-husband and yet I feel afraid of him. The Dimitri I loved would never hurt me..."

Dimitri no longer concealed his anger. "This is the first time I've seen you since we were in Wales. You storm in here and tell me about Bianca and how horrible she's feeling. You don't ask me how Alex is doing. You don't ask me whether I've made any progress in finding my son. You don't even stop for a moment to thank me for getting your daughter back. But you want to know_ whether Alex is going to press charges?" _

Erica's hand trembled, "I don't mean to be uncaring, Dimitri...it's just that I've spent the past week at home with Bianca. She's been the only thing on my mind…it's not that I'm unconcerned for you and Alex. No, that's not it at all..."

"Oh, but that's _exactly_ it!" Dimitri hissed. "And since you can't help yourself, let me ask you something, Erica. Do you _really_ want to know what I think?"

Erica said nothing as it began to dawn on her that coming here was an enormous mistake.

"Give me your purse, Erica," he demanded, his face a mask of bitterness.

"Dimitri, you're scaring me."

"I said give me your purse!"

She did as he asked and he grabbed it from her hands. As soon as he had it in his possession, Dimitri walked over to the fireplace and threw it into its flames.

"Dimitri! What are you doing?" she cried out, trying to pull it out, but it was too hot and it was quickly engulfed in the rising flames.

"What is it, Erica?'' he asked her, ''Was there something in there that meant something to you? A few hundred dollars maybe, a driver's license, credit cards, a photo of your daughter? Tell me, Erica, was there something in there that you couldn't bear to lose?"

"I see what you're trying to tell me…I get it."

His eyes narrowed as he stared at her, "No, Erica, I don't think you do. I don't think you have a damn clue yet as to what I'm trying to tell you." He walked towards a vase that stood behind a glass door, inside a wooden cabinet. Dimitri opened the doors of the cabinet and pulled out the vase, cradling it in his hands. "Do you know what this is, Erica? I'm sure you must have an idea, I know much how you like objects of beauty and this would certainly qualify, don't you think?"

The vase was hand-painted in an exquisite Oriental pattern, its shapes highlighted by strands of pale blue and yellow gemstones.

"I don't know…" Erica's voice quivered as she spoke and she felt warm tears starting to pool in her eyes.

"It looks like it could be Chinese…"

Dimitri offered her a cold, satisfied smile, "You're absolutely right. It was part of a Ming tomb, buried alongside its teenage Emperor, so he could take it along with him on his journey to the netherworld. I acquired it more than two decades ago, at a Sotheby's auction, for just under $600,000. Back then that was a lot of money for me. It was the pride of my art collection. I used to think I couldn't bear ever losing it."

Genuinely frightened now, Erica stared at him in the silence of the room. Her gaze was unblinking as he held the vase above his head and, in one swift, violent movement, Dimitri threw it into the stone wall next to the fireplace. It made a crashing noise as its beautiful exterior exploded into a hundred pieces.

Erica gasped and drew a hand to her lips. "Please, Dimitri stop this, you're frightening me…"

Dimitri stared at the remains of the vase and at the flames that had now consumed Erica's purse. "I used to think that vase meant something…until I lost _everything_…everything that really _does_ mean something."

He turned back towards Erica, lowering his shoulders as if the tension in them had finally seeped out, leaving him drained. "You know I've always loved Bianca as if she were my own daughter, but the truth is she shot my wife and it was her actions that killed our unborn child. Isn't there a part of you that might agree that Bianca _should_ feel guilty? Drugs or no drugs? Do you have any idea at all what I would give to see Alex pregnant again? To have a chance to be there when our child is born? To be there when our child takes its first steps and speaks its first words? Do you have _any_ idea, what I would give for that, Erica?"

Erica was crying now. "I'm sorry Dimitri, I know you lost a lot…I know."

"Not a lot, Erica. _Everything_."

"I know you're angry now, Dimitri and I understand, but please for Bianca…"

"Get out of my house."

Erica nodded. "This was a mistake."

His voice was low and threatening, "Don't make me ask you again."

Erica turned around, feeling strangely naked without her purse. "You don't have to ask me again. But we have to talk about this Dimitri…for us and for Bianca."

"There is no us, Erica." he whispered after she was gone, "And Bianca will have to deal with her demons."

Dimitri closed the door of the study again and sat down on the sofa, shaking his head as he kept staring into the flames.

_Pine Valley, PA_

Alex sat on the park bench, observing an old man who was walking his dog in the crisp November breeze. He threw a Frisbee into the air in front of her and Alex watched the golden retriever leap off the ground to catch it.

"Here you go…" David Hayward said, walking into her line of vision as he handed her a sausage in a bun.

"What's this?"

"Something to eat."

"It looks awful…" She grimaced at the sight of it.

"It's a hot dog and if you decide not to eat again for the next couple of days it'll be okay because the calories in this one will compensate."

"Really? It's a hot dog, underneath all these condiments? Mustard, ketchup, hot peppers, olives, mayonnaise, onions…did I miss something?"

David took a bite of his. "Yeah. Sauerkraut, cheese and bacon bits. Stop examining it and eat it."

She took a bite, not realizing until then how hungry she was.

David waited until she had nearly finished it, before turning to her. "Tell me something, why are you shutting out Dimitri? I don't understand why now, of all times, you can't help each other through this."

Her eyes met his reluctantly. It felt strange to confide in David Hayward yet her confession came easily. "I think he blames me for losing the baby. I know he would never say it, but when he looks at me he's so full of grief and anger, I don't know what to say or where to start. I've hurt him so much, David, I can't stand it anymore."

"What?" David glanced at her in disbelief, "How can you blame yourself for losing the baby? How could you or anyone of us have possibly guessed that Bianca would do what she did?"

"I shouldn't have been there driving one of the getaway cars, but I insisted."

"If Dimitri or anyone of us had thought it was too dangerous, we wouldn't have let you do it."

"He didn't know I was pregnant."

"But I did. So if you want to blame someone, then blame me."

She gave him a lopsided smile. It _was _easy to talk to him. "It's not just Bianca, David, it's everything. This whole mess is because of _my_ mother, because of _my_ past. Ever since Dimitri met me he's become a pawn in her sick, twisted games. She kept us apart for more than seven years and now she keeps tormenting him, even from her grave. She knew exactly that nothing could hurt us more than not knowing where our son is. Sometimes I wish Dimitri had never met me. Erica was right about one thing, I've brought him so much sorrow."

"Dimitri was dying when he met you," David tried to reason.

"I trust my skills as a doctor, but I'm not that vain to think that I alone saved his life. I'm sure he would've found another physician who would have eventually taken the same course of treatment for his illness that I did."

"Oh, I don't think so, Alex. I've read his charts, his medical history…what you did for him was nothing short of miraculous and I know the fact that he fell in love with you was no small part of his recovery. More than anything, you gave him a reason to fight."

"He wanted so much for us to have another child, David. You should've seen him at the hospital in Cardiff, when he came to see me…" Her voice started to choke and she wiped away a tear, "I can't stand to see him hurting anymore."

"Hey," David put an arm around her. "So you just shut him out, is that it?"

"It's easier. More bearable."

"Maybe you need some time apart from each other then," he suggested.

"I love him so much, David."

He took a final bite of his hot dog, "I'm not saying you should divorce him. I know you love him, and god knows he loves you. Dimitri worships you. I see it in every gesture, every glance between the two of you. Trust me, Alex, most people would kill to have what you two have, but if it's too hard for you to even speak to him right now, for fear of hurting each other then maybe you need to distance yourself from each other for a little while. Time will give you both a chance to heal."

"Heal from losing my son? How does one heal from that? Every time I close my eyes I see Max and I know it's not possible to go on living without him. How can I even consider it?"

"Because if you don't go on, you'll lose your mind. You might as well kill yourself then."

"Thanks…"

"Look I'm not going to coddle you, Alex. Nobody should have to go through what you went through this past week. Nobody. And if there was anything at all that I could do to change what happened, I would do it in a heartbeat, but I can't. So the way I see it, you have two choices, you either go back to bed, close your eyes to the world, and descend into a despair from which you might not come out of. Or, you go out and you focus on something,_ anything_, that'll help you go on, and while you do that, you let time take its healing course."

"So I should just go back to the Andrassy Foundation and pick up where I left off two weeks ago? How, David? Tell me how I can do that?"

"Not the Andrassy Foundation. You won't be able to focus on research now. You need to do something where you'll be away from here, something where you'll be treating patients. Somewhere so busy and hectic that you won't have time to think. That's what you need now."

"And where would that be?"

"How about St.Bartholomew's in London, where we did our residency? It's a busy inner city hospital. The staff turnover is enormous. I know the Chief of Staff, Dr. Hugh Watson. He's an arrogant jerk with a demi-god complex, intolerable to most of his staff, and a complete slave driver."

"You make it sound so appealing."

"I could put in a good word for you, and you could probably start next week…"

Alex raised her eyebrows, overwhelmed at having gone from refusing to leave the confines of her bedroom to thinking of going back to London to work.

No, not to work, she corrected herself, t_o forget. _"I'd like to think my credentials could land me a position without you having to smooth talk the Chief of Staff."

"If you give him your real credentials, Watson will never let you work on the patient floors. He'll insist your talents are wasted there and stick you in the lab. I'd do the same if I were Chief of Staff at PVH," David explained matter-of-factly. He tossed a paper napkin into the wastebasket next to the bench, "Just say when, Alex, and all I have to do is make a couple of phone calls."

She thought about the possibility but shook her head, "I can't leave Dimitri, not now."

"Yet you can't talk to him either?"

"You said you wanted to tell me something?" she asked, ready to change the subject.

He gave her a wide smile, "It's about Josie."

"How is she?" Alex asked.

"Missing me like crazy, I'm sure…"

"I bet."

"I spoke to Tina and she told me some things about Josie she neglected to mention while we were in Bison River. For instance, Josie's family, you know the one that doesn't give a damn as to whether she comes home at the end of the day or not? Well, it turns out they aren't really her family after all. She's their foster kid."

"But what about her father...you know, the one you _met_ at the bar?"

"He lost custody of her, and, it gets better, her mother is Gwich'in not Dene."

"What?"

"Her tribe lives mostly in Alaska and Josie was actually born in Alaska. Josie's a US citizen, Alex."

"So?"

"It means _I_ could apply to be her foster parent."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Why?" he narrowed his brows. "She has asthma and juvenile diabetes. As a physician I would even have an advantage."

"But she lives in Bison River and you live in Pine Valley! I know you want to become Chief of Staff at PVH. You'd be taking her from the only home she's known and then you'd hardly have any time for her!"

"I've given this some thought. I'm looking into reducing my role at the hospital to an advisory position in Cardio. It would completely open up my schedule."

"But what about the fact that she's Native? What do you know about her culture? Her way of life?"

"From what I saw, her way of life mostly involved trying to get by, trying to avoid a home of chain smokers that didn't give a damn about her health. I don't understand, Alex. I thought you of all people, would encourage me! I could give that girl a future in Pine Valley, an education, and if I need to take her moose hunting twice a year, or participate in a sweat lodge ceremony, so she can feel close to her ancestor's way of life, then that's what we'll do. I'll make sure she doesn't feel alienated."

"What you're contemplating, it's incredible. But we're talking about a child here, this is a_ huge_ responsibility, David. Once you take it on you can't change your mind. Plus, she needs a mother too, doesn't she?"

"She doesn't have a mother now."

Alex rubbed her eyes. The combined effect of the food and the pain medication were making her lethargic. For the first time in days she felt like she might actually be able to sleep, so profound was her exhaustion. "I don't know what to say. Everything seems unreal… a few weeks ago we barely spoke to one another, I had my son, you had your ambitions, and now I've lost my son and you want to adopt a little Native girl. I feel like this is all a dream, and that I'll wake up soon."

David smirked, "I didn't say it wasn't crazy." He caught her yawning, "Tired?"

She managed a smile, "I don't think I've ever been this tired."

"We should head back."

"Thanks for this." It was the first time in days that her mind had stopped racing and that her arm wasn't in agony. It was also the first time in days that she stopped crying for more than twenty minutes at a time. Some fresh air and a conversation that didn't centre around events this past week was apparently worth more than she could have imagined. While she couldn't quite put her gratitude into words, she knew she would never look at David Hayward the same way again.

"Anytime...I owe you, remember. Just make it a little easier next time, 'kay?"

Alex eyed him, "Deal."

David stared out into the park ahead of him. "I realized something, last week, Alex. I thought, what if I were to lose everything that mattered to me from one day to the next? And then I realized that I didn't _have_ anything that mattered. Except for my brother, Leo, and my career, there's nothing in my life that I couldn't live without. Nothing, Alex. I'm one of the most accomplished Cardiologists in the United States, and yet I have nothing worth losing."

"Maybe it's easier that way…" Alex said softly. "To have nothing that's worth losing."

"It's not. As hard as that may be to believe right now, it's not." Alex watched a young woman walk past them, scolding her toddler for picking up a piece of snow and putting into her mouth. David took hold of her hand at the same time. "It's cold out here," he said softly, "We should go back."

_Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley, PA_

"Where have you been?" was the first thing Dimitri asked when he saw Alex walk through the front doors, "I was getting worried. It's freezing out there."

"I'm sorry, I should have told you where I was going. But to tell you the truth, I didn't know... David suddenly decided I needed some fresh air."

He helped her take off her jacket. "He's probably right. You haven't left the house in a week." He saw her grimace when he touched her arm, "How's the arm?"

"It'll be alright."

He cupped her hands in his own. "You're freezing. Come, let me pour you a cup of tea in the study."

She let him take her arm, "Thanks."

She sat down on the couch, observing him as he brought her a cup of hot tea. Like her own, his eyes were rimmed with dark circles and each movement he made seemed to require a gargantuan effort. She gratefully took the cup and saucer from his hands, looking at the picture of her and Max on the coffee table.

Dimitri sat down next to her, watching her stare blankly at the photograph. "What are you thinking?" he asked her in a voice that was barely audible. "Let me in, Alex…let me help you."

Her hands started to shake, forcing her to put the cup and saucer back down on the table. She couldn't stand to look at the picture so she turned it face down, on the table. Less than an hour ago, her mind had cleared enough to have a normal conversation with David, and now, back at Wildwind, all it took was one glance at an old photograph to twist her her emotions back into turmoil. She covered her face with her hands, feeling the tears well up inside them.

"Darling, talk to me, please…" Dimitri tried to move her hands from her face.

Alex shook her head, frightened at both the darkness and the intensity of her feelings, "I miss him so much, Dimitri…it hurts to miss him so much."

He folded her into his embrace, "I know."

Time stood still while she wept and Dimitri wasn't sure how long it was before Alex finally fell into an exhausted sleep. He lowered her onto the sofa with arms that had long fallen asleep.

He kissed her cheek, still wet with tears, 'You gave me the most precious gift on the world…and I lost him.'

He wiped a warm tear from his face and found a blanket to cover her. He knelt down next to her and kissed her forehead. 'Goodbye, Alexandra.'

Dimitri walked out of the study, quietly closing the door behind him.

Outside, Stella was watering a large, red poinsettia in the mahogany corridor.

"Will you do me a favour, Stella?" Dimitri asked her.

"Of course, Mr.Marick."

"Call my jet and have them fuel it up for a trip to the Ekati Mine, while I pack my bags upstairs."

Stella's glance didn't hide her surprise, "Yes, right away."

"Thank you."


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter XXX

_Figlio Perduto  
Vuoi fare un gioco?  
Gioia ti porto  
Vieni con me _

_Lost son  
Do you want to play?  
I bring you joy  
Come with me _

_Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley , PA_

"Good morning, Alex."

A young woman with long, curly dark hair sat down on the couch next to Alex, holding a cup of steaming hot chocolate in her hands.

"Hi, Maddie," Alex said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She must have fallen asleep in the study last night and Dimitri had probably decided not to wake her.

The aroma of hot chocolate filled the air and Alex observed the young woman who was seated at the edge of the sofa. Edmund's daughter was only slightly older than Josie. She was at that awkward, fragile stage, between childhood and teenager. She had a gentle, delicate face that Alex knew, without a doubt, would one day soon blossom into an exquisitely beautiful one. To top it all off, she had inherited her father's patience and kindness.

"Do you want some hot chocolate?" Maddie asked her.

Alex managed a smile, "No, but I'd love a cup of coffee."

Maddie smiled at her in return, revealing a row of multi-coloured braces on her teeth, "I'll go to the kitchen and grab you one. How how about a piece of toast to go with it?"

"Sure. Thanks." Alex couldn't help but smile at how much Maddie's caring ways mirrored her father's.

Maddie opened the curtains of the room, allowing it to fill with sunlight and just as she left, Edmund entered.

"Morning, sweetheart," Edmund embraced his daughter, kissing her on the cheek. "It's Saturday, what are you doing up before noon?"

"Dad!" she said indignantly, "I'm getting a coffee for Alex, do you want one?"

His eyes twinkled as he smiled back at her, "I'd love one. The usual three spoons of sugar, but don't stir it. You know I don't like it too sweet."

"Ha ha…very funny." She rolled her eyes at him before heading towards the kitchen.

Edmund's eyes darkened as he moved towards Alex, "Good morning...you look...better today."

She looked at him, glancing at her Omega watch shocked at how late it was. "I guess twelve hours of sleep will help anyone."

His eyes rested on hers, with a look that was at once familiar and comforting. It seemed like a lifetime ago that they had loved each other. It was a love that never should have happened, Alex could easily acknowledge that now. But it _did_ happen, and it was real and wonderful. Both of them had mourned the loves of their lives at the time and somehow, by turning to each other, they could both feel alive again. Alex was glad that Edmund had found love with Brooke English, but she also knew that no matter how happy and content they were in their respective marriages, neither of them would ever stop caring for the other entirely.

He handed her a brown paper bag, "David stopped by earlier this morning. He dropped off some medication for you. He made some thinly veiled threats that if I didn't swear to him you'd take them, he'd hold me personally responsible for your recovery. He's such a charmer your friend, Hayward. He also mentioned something about a reference letter for him…I assume you'd know what he's talking about. And, lastly, he also said something about stopping by later to change the dressing on your wound…"

Alex tried to extract what he wasn't telling her by looking into his eyes. "Why is he telling _you_ all this? Where's Dimitri?"

Edmund cringed.

"Edmund?" she asked again.

He hesitated. "Dimitri…left last night. He's gone."

Alex looked at him, puzzled, "What do you mean gone?"

"Stella said he took the one of the jets to the mine in northern Canada. He didn't say when he'd be back." Edmund's lips tightened in anger in reaction to the look on her face. "I hate what he's done and yet it's such a Dimitri move. The most unbelievable thing about it is that he honestly believes he's doing you some sort of favour by staying away from you. I swear, I'm going to fly up there and bring him to his senses, because this is wrong, Alex. This is _so_ wrong!"

Alex put a hand on his arm, "Edmund…stop it."

"No. He's not going to run away from this. You need him now."

"Edmund..." her voice was soft. Calm. "I think he did the right thing. I know exactly how he's feeling…"

"You think that leaving you, after you've just lost your child…_your children_… after you've been through hell and back, is right?"

"I don't blame him. In fact, I understand him.

Edmund shook his head angrily, "I don't. I don't see anything noble or logical about what he's done. It's cowardly and I don't know why he would do it, because Dimitri is not a coward, he never has been."

"He's not…but he's had to deal with more than anyone should have to."

"What about you? You were shot and lost a child! When you say those vows, Alex, you promise to stick with each other for better or worse! What happened to that?"

"Except for us it never seems to get better, only worse."

"I don't get it." Edmund sighed in frustration.

Alex squeezed his hand, "Don't ever doubt your brother's love for me, Edmund. _I_ don't. Imagine if Brooke was hurting and you couldn't do anything for her…all you could do is watch. It would hurt your wife more to see you suffering because of her, than anything else."

Edmund raised his eyebrows, "You're not making any sense, Alex. This reminds me of the time Dimitri thought he was dying and he refused to come home to Wildwind and let us take care of him, saying it would be unbearable for him. I didn't agree with him then and I definitely don't agree with this now."

"I do. I understood his decision then, and I remember fighting you on it, and I can see what he's doing now." Alex couldn't help but smile when she saw Edmund's angry determination, "The two of you are so alike, and yet so different."

Maddie came back into the room, carrying two mugs of coffee, handing one to Edmund and another to Alex.

Edmund pulled her towards him, even as she made a halfhearted attempt to resist, ending up on his lap instead. "Come on, Dad, stop it!" she protested, "Sam's waiting out in the stables for me. We're going to go for a ride."

Edmund gave her a hug before she had a chance to pull away from him, "Alright then, but be careful. The ground's hard now. It'll hurt if you end up on your rear. And tell Sam I want you to be back here by 1pm. We're having lunch together when Brooke's back from her shopping excursion."

"Yeah, whatever…" Her eyes twinkled as she turned away from him, "Bye, Alex. Get better, okay?'

This time Edmund rolled his eyes, "Teenagers…" He stopped himself from going on when he caught Alex observe the two of them. "You're going to through the same thing with Max…I know you will."

She took a sip of the coffee, wondering if he would ever stop trying to look after her.

Edmund pulled out the medication from the paper bag, "While you're having the coffee, David told me to get you to take one of these, this morning." He eyed the two containers, "You know what, I can't remember which one he said were the antibiotics..."

Alex observed him with a smirk. "Here…I think I might be able to help you. That medical degree has to be good for something, right?"

He smiled at her sheepishly, "You got it, Doc. Dimitri always said you were the smart one."

"Yeah, well, he's right. He usually is."

Edmund's lips turned into a frown again. "Not this time, Alex. This time he's very wrong."

"Don't judge him Edmund, please."

He took a final sip of his coffee, "I love my brother, and there are few people in this world I admire more than Dimitri, but this time he made the wrong choice." Edmund blinked in the sunlight that was pouring through the window, before making an effort to change the subject. "Why don't you come out for a walk with me, if you're up to it. It's a beautiful day outside. We'll watch Sam and Maddie ride."

Alex was about to decline; until she realized her only other option was staying inside, alone with her dark thoughts. "Sure…I'd like that. Under one condition, though."

Edmund seemed pleasantly surprised to see her take him up on his offer. "Anything. You name it."

"No more talk about Dimitri, okay?"

He raised his hand in mock surrender, "If that's what you want, I can handle that."

She gave him a reluctant smile, "Thanks, I appreciate it. Give me half an hour to get ready, ok?''

He got up to leave the study, "I'll meet you outside by the stables."

Alex took a pill out of one of the containers and swallowed it with her coffee, waiting until Edmund was out of earshot. Then she picked up the phone on the table next to her and dialed David's number.

"Hi. It's me," she said, "Remember your offer yesterday, to make at couple of calls on my behalf, for St.Bart's in London? Well, I think I'd like to take you up on your offer."

_Central Children's Orphanage, Paris, France_

Robin Scorpio folded up her umbrella as she entered the gray brick building, shaking off the water that had drenched it on her way to the orphanage.

She saw an older woman, with hair the same colour as the building's bricks; sit at a wooden reception desk, a few steps from the main entrance.

Robin walked up to her, offering her a smile, "_Bonjour_. I'm here to see a little boy that was brought in two days ago.'

"What's his name?" the woman asked, without looking up or returning Robin's smile.

"I just know his first name…it's Max. He was brought in from St.Agathe Hospital." Robin raised her hand to her chest to indicate his height, "He's maybe seven years old, dark hair and eyes."

"We assign each child a last name once they are brought here, for identification purposes," the woman replied, in a tone that suggested Robin should have known as much. She pulled out a file folder and began tracing a hand written list with her ballpoint pen. "You're probably looking for Max Grosseilliers. Age approximately seven, of Roma descent."

"We don't know that he's a gypsy," Robin pointed out. "My colleague made that assumption." 'And what a last name they decided to give him,' she thought, 'How will the poor kid ever pronounce that?'

"What is the reason for your visit? Do you have any connection to this child? Are you persuing an adoption?" the woman asked her.

"Uh…no. I was the physician who treated him at St.Agathe. I just wanted to see how he's doing."

The woman looked up and met her eyes for the first time, in order to give Robin an incredulous look. "_You_ were his physician?"

Robin pulled out an identification card, barely offended at the woman's disbelief. The last time one of her dates had taken her to a casino, the security guard wasn't convinced that she was 21, much less a practising physician. Most casual observers, that ventured to guess her age, would have placed her in college at best.

The woman's eyes were now glued to Robin when she handed back her ID. "I'm sorry Dr. Scorpio, I didn't mean to…"

"That's okay," Robin replied. Her youthful looks might be a nuissance now but she was convinced she wouldn't mind looking ten years younger once she was forty.

The woman glanced at her watch, "The children will have finished their afternoon lessons in about twenty minutes. You can see the boy then, before they have their evening meal."

"I was hoping maybe I could take him out for a bite to eat and a walk," Robin told her.

The receptionist's eyes widened and she stiffled a laugh, "I'm afraid that's not possible. We don't loan out children like library books. You need to have legal guardianship in order to spend time alone with a child."

Robin blushed. In hindsight it was a rather crazy idea. "I thought since I treated him and he knows me…"

"I'm afraid that's not possible." The woman pointed to a bench across the hallway, "You may have a seat over there until the children's classes are over. When they are I'll call you and take you in to see the boy."

Robin accepted the offer. "Alright."

She walked over to the bench and barely sat down before a question made her head back towards the receptionist. "Can I ask you something else?"

The woman cocked her head up from her paperwork, "Yes?"

"How exactly does one go about obtaining legal guardianship of one of your orphans?"

"Well..." The woman pursed her lips, "It's a long procedure that involves filling out several application forms. Once they're reviewed and if they are considered, we do background checks, interviews, there are many legalities involved...if you're interested I'll give you the papers to start the process."

Robin was about to shake her head and decline, but the woman, who seemed considerably more amicable now, had already pulled out a bunch of papers. "We're always looking for foster parents," she added, with what looked like a hint of a smile.

Even though she knew she wouldn't fill them out, Robin didn't have the heart to refuse the papers that the woman handed her. "Thanks..." As she took them she suddenly heard the noise of children in the background.

"Looks like they got out early," the woman told Robin. "Let me take you inside."

She led Robin into a large room that was part play area, part living room. There were several televisions, shelves and shelves of books, colourful sofas, chairs and tables that held coloured pencils, crayons, paper, and notebooks. The room quickly filled with a group of at least thirty boys ranging in age from six to twelve, Robin guessed. Some of the boys clustered together in groups of four or five, plopping themselves in font of one of the television screens, turning the channel to a local soccer game. Others pulled out decks of cards and board games and still others retreated to a quiet corner with a book from one of the shelves.

Robin spotted Max in the distance. He sat down in a corner by himself, making no attempts to join any of the other boys.

"Hey, there!" Robin called out to him, "Remember me, sleepy guy?"

His face lit up and he gave her one of his dreamy smiles.

'You are going to melt _so_ many girls' hearts with that smile,' she thought, returning his grin.

One of the women who was supervising the children walked towards Robin, her face drawn and tired, "Do you know this boy?" she asked Robin.

"Well, not really. I treated him when he was brought to St.Agathe, that's all."

The woman frowned, "He's been a little troublemaker since he was brought here."

Robin's surprise was written on her face, "Really? He didn't give me that impression at all..."

"He's been sullen and unresponsive. He's also hit the other children. If you have any sort of connection with this boy, perhaps you can help him understand that that's not the way to behave here. We've been lenient with him so far, as we are with all the new children. We realize that the change is difficult for them and give them time to adjust but if he doesn't change his behaviour he will be punished accordingly."

Robin stood up next to the woman, her eyes narrowing, "Wait a minute…you say he's sullen and unresponsive, you _are_ aware that he doesn't speak French, right? How are you communicating with him? Do you have someone on staff who speaks English?"

"I'm afraid this isn't a hotel, Doctor. He'll be taught French, that's the best we can do for him. But in order to do that we need his cooperation."

Robin bit her tongue, afraid of what she'd say if she didn't. "I'll tell you what…I'll do my best to talk to him." 'And get his side of the story,' she thought angrily.

The woman glanced at her wristwatch, "You have twenty minutes before the boys go in for supper."

"That's fine."

The woman left and Robin took a deep breath before turning back to Max.

"What did she say?" Max asked her.

Robin gave him a big grin, "She said you're the sweetest thing she's ever met and that she loves you to pieces."

Max laughed, "Yeah, right."

Robin sat down on the little chair that stood next to the equally small desk, hoisting him onto her lap. "So, you want to tell me what's going on? Why are you hitting the other kids?"

Max pointed to an older, red haired boy across the room. "That boy…he picked his nose and wiped it on my face."

Robin made a face. "Hmm…nice. So you hit him after he did that?"

Max nodded. "I didn't have anything to wipe on him and I had to do something to stop him."

Robin had to stop herself from grinning. The world was infinitely more black and white when you were seven years old. "Do you know why he did that to you? Did you do something to upset him?"

Max shrugged his shoulders, "He said stuff but I didn't understand him. He looked angry when he said it." The look of frustration on his face told her that his inability to understand anyone bothered him.

"So you hit him?"

"No. I only hit him after he wiped his stuff on my face."

'How can I blame you for that?' she thought, wondering what in the world she was supposed to tell him to make his life here easier. To help him fit in somehow. 'As if spending a day with this kid is going to give me instant parental wisdom,' Robin thought with a sigh, trying to think of what her parents might have told her.

Robin wrapped her arms around him, "So... did hitting him make things better?"

"Yeah. It did."

This time Robin couldn't help laugh. It was definitely not the answer she was hoping for. "You know hitting people is wrong, right Max?"

He nodded, staring at her with his warm, dark eyes, one of his hands playing with her fingers. Whenever Robin took a moment to observe him, she marveled at how gentle he was. There was nothing in any of his gestures or his expressions to suggest hostility or agression. Robin couldn't imagine him hitting another child. Unless he was provoked...

'I swear…' she thought, looking at him, 'at some point; someone had to have loved you very much, Max. Kids don't turn out like this by accident.'

"Will you promise me to not hit those boys again?" she asked him softly. It was all she could think of doing.

Max avoided her eyes. "I don't know…"

He wasn't just gentle, Robin realized. He was innately honest too. If he didn't want to tell her something he'd rather say nothing than lie. He hadn't even considered trying to cover up his misdeeds.

"If they call you names, I want you to ignore them, Max. It might take a while but they'll get bored once they realize it doesn't bother you."

Max looked at her, perplexed, "But it does bother me."

"But that's the trick, Max. You have to make them believe that it doesn't. Even if it does. That's the only way they'll stop. Will you promise me you'll try? For me?"

Max looked as though he was debating it. "Okay," he told her after some consideration. "I'll try."

She planted a kiss on his cheek, "Thanks, Max."

Max stopped playing with her fingers.

"So besides all that, tell me how you're doing?" Robin asked him. She looked at the large Band-Aid on his wrist, and lifted it up. "Is your wrist okay now?"

He nodded, eyeing her as if trying to figure something out.

"Are you going to give me the silent treatment again?" she asked, holding his hand in hers.

"Are you going to stay with me?"

It was a blunt question that came out of nowhere and it caught Robin by surprise. His eyes searched hers, letting her know that he was expecting the same honesty he'd given her so far. "I...look, I can't stay here, Max… I came by to see how you're doing here, that's all. These people are going to take good care of you, maybe even find you a family soon."

The way his eyes darkened in disappointment made Robin's heart feel like it was sinking into her stomach. Heavy, guilty, miserable.

But what else was she going to tell him? He deserved her honesty and she would give him that much.

What he didn't deserve was to have his heart broken. Again.

"Hey, come on, Max..." Her voice choked when she saw him fighting back tears. "It's not so bad here. You've got all sorts of kids here that are your age. Once you speak French, you're going to make friends in no time. You'll see. I know it's hard now, but it'll get so much better for you."

Max nodded, "Yeah…I guess."

She expected him to plead his case. To beg her to stay. The fact that he didn't only broke her heart a little more. While he was blinking to hold back his tears, her own eyes had started to water.

"Will you let me give you a hug, Max?" was all she managed to say. He wasn't even eight years old. He wasn't supposed to be this brave.

Max nodded again, wordlessly without taking his eyes off her.

She held him tight, and when she did, she felt the wetness of his tears against her shoulder. "It's going to be okay, Max…it really is." She wanted to to comfort him, but she was the one who was crying now.

The sound of a bell suddenly rang through the room and Max pulled away from her, gently running his fingers down her face to wipe away her tears. "I have to go now to eat supper. If I don't, I'll get in trouble again."

Robin kissed the bandaid on his wrist, "Okay, you better go then, Max."

He looked at her, "Thanks for coming to see me. Good-bye Robin."

"Goodbye, Max."

Long after he left for the dining hall, Robin stayed behind in the playroom, seated on the too-small chair. She pulled out a tissue and blew her nose. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes red.

'This was _such_ a mistake,' she thought angrily. 'I came here to reassure myself that he's okay and instead I find out he's absolutely miserable. But what the hell am I supposed to do about it…? This boy is so not my problem.'

She pictured Pierre mocking her if he knew about her visit to the orphanage. Robin Scorpio, the sentimental American who always wore her heart on her sleeve.

She shook her head, trying to shake the feeling of Max's hands on her face. The way he had held on to her when she had hugged him. 'He's so easy to love. I'm sure some family out there would just die to adopt him.'

Robin glanced out the window and saw the rain falling more heavily now, making her frown.

She stared at the legal guardianship papers in her hands.

It was a ludicrous idea. She had her plate full with her job. With just trying to stay healthy. Besides, he was in a safe place now, with professionals, who looked after children for a living. Max Grosseilliers was going to be just fine.

She took another glance at the papers, before a voice in her head announced itself : 'Don't even think about it…'

She crunched up the papers and tossed them into the nearest wastebasket.

Then she headed out the building without looking back.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter XXXI

_Con un cavallo  
Vanno avanti  
In questa grande  
Oscurita _

_With a horse  
They progess  
Through this immense  
Darkness _

_Marick Diamond Mine, Ekati, Northwest Territories, Canada_

_One week later_

Dimitri Marick slowed down his snowmobile as he approached the five-story Marick Mining compound where close to three hundred men and a handful of women, every one of them on his payroll, lived while working to retrieve the diamonds hidden deep beneath the frozen tundra.

The wind howled across the frozen landscape, its sound hissing in his eardrums. Surrounding him. If Dimitri were to remove his thermal gloves for a mere five minutes, frostbite would start to take hold of his fingers. If he dared to make it thirty minutes or more, the frostbite would most likely be so severe that amputation of one or more of his fingers would be the only way to prevent the dying flesh from poisoning the rest of his hand.

It was a harsh and unforgiving environment and yet it yielded some of the most beautiful diamonds the world had ever seen.

Twenty years ago, the prospect of mining diamonds in northern Canada would have been as absurd as building igloos in South Africa.

And ten years ago the only thing Dimitri Marick had known about diamonds was that he loved to hold and admire them. "They're clear, pure and, above all, they're unbreakable," he had once told Alex. "There's not a lot of things in this world that fit that description."

It was eight years ago, that one of Dimitri's closest business associates had sponsored a team of prospectors and geologists to examine the possibility harvesting diamonds in the northern kimberlite of Canada.

"Diamonds in Canada? You're kidding, right?" Dimitri had chided him.

"There are huge kimberlitic bodies up there and that's the first step to finding diamonds," his friend had insisted.

Although Dimitri had known next to nothing about diamond mining, he _had_ known enough to know that discovering kimberlite was not the same as discovering diamonds. Kimberlitic bodies could be found just about anywhere on the planet and in most cases the amount of diamonds present were not nearly enough to warrant a commercial mining operation. He had told his friend as much.

"This is the real deal, Dimitri. I've got the word from dozens of reputable prospectors that this could be really, really big."

Dimitri had given him a skeptical smile; "Well then, it looks like you're in for something good. You've got my best wishes."

"I was hoping for something more than your good wishes, Dimitri. Diamond prospecting and mineral sampling, as good as the outlook may be, are still extremely costly ventures. I came to see you because I was hoping to convince you to become one of our partners."

Dimitri's had know full well it was his financing not his partnership the man was interested in. As impulsive as he could be, Dimitri Marick wasn't a fool. He hadn't earned his reputation as a financier to be reckoned with, by backing up hare-brained ventures that he knew nothing about. "Not this time, my friend. I know as much about mining as I do about biochemical research, which isn't much. I don't like to pay to be led down a murky tunnel with no profitable end in sight."

His friend had laughed at his choice of words, "You're so dramatic, Dimitri. It's the Eastern European in you, isn't it? Trust me, I'll fill you in on everything you need to know, and once you find out what you could end up with, you'll _beg_ me to let you in on this."

At that Dimitri too had laughed, "I'm sorry, my answer stands. Besides, I've got enough on my plate without another business venture to complicate matters. I just got my life back, and I plan to enjoy it for a while."

And then, a few nights later, he had attended a party on Ryan Lavery's yacht.

That night Alex had disappeared.

_For seven, long years._

A few months after her disappearance, his friend had come to see him again, and without thinking twice, Dimitri had signed on as a partner. 'What does it matter?' he had thought, 'What have I got to lose?'

The only thing he had left was his work and he dove into it. Aside from his other ventures, including a newspaper in England, a casino in Monaco, and a recycling plant in the Midwest, Dimitri also took over the directorship of the Andrassy Foundation, a full time occupation in itself. Still, it was the search for diamonds in the frozen Arctic that had fascinated and consumed him more than anything else.

Dimitri learned everything there was to know about the diamond industry. From searching for them in mineral laden strips of rock known as kimberlitic bodies to doing the mineral sampling in specially built labs that determined whether the carat per tonne yield justified a commercial mining operation. Things like caustic fusion processes and dense mineral sampling became part of his everyday vocabulary. He created a new company called Marick Diamonds, which encompassed its own sampling labs and its own team of world-renowned prospectors and geologists that worked on over a dozen potential kimberlitic bodies in Canada's north.

The more Dimitri learned about diamonds, the more convinced he became that the discoveries in the Northwest Territories were indeed, as his friend had suggested, the real deal, even if it was a slow, laborious process and his original partners were ready to give up.

A few months later, Dimitri had bought out the other partners and shortly thereafter Marick Diamonds made plans to build the very first diamond mine in Canada. In spite of the risks and high initial capital involved, if successful, the average diamond mine had a lifespan of fifteen to twenty years and could yield staggering profits.

And today, eight years later, the Marick Diamond mine at Ekati had a projected lifespan of twenty years and produced a steady annual net worth of diamonds well over $500 million dollars. As much faith as he had in his instincts, Dimitri had to admit its success had gone far beyond his aspirations. In addition to the high quantity the mine yielded, many of the finished stones emitted a mysterious, light-susceptible blue hue that most jewelers in the world now equated with some of the highest quality stones on the market. And now his prospectors had found new kimberlite even further north, enough of it that warranted the beginning of a second Marick mine.

A recent article in a financial paper had suggested that the Marick name was now well on its way to rivaling DeBeers in the diamond industry.

'Who wouldn't envy that kind of success?' he wondered as he stared at the lights of his housing compound. Yet for Dimitri, the Marick Mine was more than a success story. It had always represented solace and hope. Far from the reaches of the rest of the world, it was the one place he could come to when nowhere else offered any comfort.

Behind the housing compound, green and blue strips of light suddenly reared into the night sky. The light bands of the Aurora Borealis started to dance in the absolute darkness of the night sky.

Dimitri paused, humbled by the splendor that Mother Nature displayed so freely in this harsh land. He never tired of looking at the Northern Lights.

He had wanted to bring Max here, not to show him the mine that he stood to inherit one day, but to show him the marvel of these lights, and to watch his son look at them with the same awe and humility that had filled him when he had first seen them.

Dimitri closed his eyes, picturing Max standing next to him. Local folklore said that if you whistled at the Northern Lights they would come down from the sky and burn you on the spot for your irreverence.

Dimitri took off his thermal balaclava-style hat and put his fingers in his mouth, whistling loudly, spitting in the face of fear and superstition.

"I dare you…come and take me…" He whistled again, louder this time, his fingers freezing in the sub-zero temperatures.

Nothing. He was still there, alive and well, and completely alone on his snowmobile, in the taunting, hissing silence of the artic.

He put his hat back on, clumsily, with fingers that were starting to lose their ability to feel the cold.

Dimitri frowned in disappointment, 'Maybe next time.'

He re-started his snowmobile and headed back to the compound.

_Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley, PA_

Alex sat at the desktop computer in her office at Wildwind putting the finishing touches on her reference letter for David Hayward. She re-read it a final time after it came out of the printer.

She still couldn't quite believe that she was doing this. For the same David Hayward that used to make her blood boil just by being in the same room. Yet he wasn't that person anymore. Maybe he never really had been and it had been her inability to see it, as clouded and prejudiced as her perception of him had always been.

Since their hot dog dinner in the park a week ago, he had come to Wildwind every day to help her change her bandages. He had examined her arm and taken out the stitches himself so she wouldn't have to make the trip to PVH and see another doctor. He had pestered her to keep taking the antibiotics. And after each visit he had lingered only so as to keep her company. Sometimes he brought her food to eat when she didn't think she could stomach a single bite and other times he had forced her to talk when she wasn't sure she was capable of forming a single, coherent sentence. They talked about Josie, about London, about the latest discoveries in the world of medicine and about the Andrassy Foundation. They talked about politics and the weather and sports. In short they talked about anything but how much she missed Max.

As a result, her bullet wound had healed beautifully, needing only a large Band-Aid to cover it now, and the pain it caused her was so minimal, she was starting to forget it was there.

'If only I could erase other things as easily…'

As it did a thousand times a day, an image of Max pleading with her to find him, flooded her mind. Alex bit her lip and forced herself to push the image from her mind, adjusting her glasses to focus on David's letter.

As she did, she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," she said, loud enough for whomever was at the door to hear.

"It's me."

Alex turned around and saw Edmund enter her office. She gave him a halfhearted smile that faded quickly when she saw his expression.

"What's wrong?" she asked him. She noticed he was holding a piece of paper in his hand, and cringed when she realized what it was.

"I don't know," he said softly, "Why don't you tell me? Maybe you can start by explaining what _this_ is all about." It was the one-way ticket to London Alex had bought this morning. She must have left its computer print-out lying in the study by mistake.

"I was going to tell you, Edmund," she started, "I wasn't going to leave without a good-bye…"

"This ticket is dated four days from today…believe me, Alex, the lack of a goodbye is just about the last thing on my mind right now. Tell me you're not serious about leaving, now of all times."

"Edmund…"

Edmund sat down next to her, placing one of his hands on her arm, "Alex you were hurt in Wales, you had a miscarriage, you're grieving…at a time like this you need to be with your family; here, at Wildwind, surrounded by people who love you and are going to take care of you. Do you even still know anybody in London?"

"Edmund," she said softly, "I don't need to be taken care of. I need to focus on something other than having lost my son, because if I don't I'll go mad with grief and anger. I need to get away from Wildwind, because everything here reminds me of Max…" She felt the tears well up again, wondering if these relentless emotions would ever stop. "The chair you're sitting on, Edmund…Max used to come here and watch me do my work for the Foundation and sit in that same chair. He'd pull it up next to mine, kneeling on it sometimes so he could play with my hair…And that wall over there, you see that mark he made with a black crayon, right next to the light switch? He painted a spider on the wall, to scare me one morning, because he knows...well..." She smiled a lopsided smile, "Because he's a rascal. And that chess set over there…"

"Okay," Edmund stopped her, gently, as he saw the toll her words took. "I understand what you're saying but I won't let you leave. Not like this."

"I _have_ to go, Edmund."

"Look, if you want. I'll set up the hunting lodge for you. You can move in there. There won't be any reminders over there."

Alex took one of his hands in her own. She loved Edmund for trying to protect her, for trying to keep her safe and close, but she knew it was neither his job nor his battle to fight. She smirked. "Did Dimitri make you promise him to look after me again?"

Edmund managed a laugh, "Remember what happened last time he tried that? We relieved each other of his promise almost immediately, thinking neither of us needed anyone to take care of us…and then we realized how wrong we were. And then..."

"We fell in love," Alex finished for him.

Edmund nodded. There had been a time when they didn't speak of their affair. But now things were different. It was easier.

"This is _my_ request. I'm asking you, Alex. Don't go. Don't try and deal with this alone. It's bad enough that Dimitri made that choice, I don't want you to make the same mistake."

"It's not a mistake, Edmund. I know you don't understand what Dimitri did…but I do, and if I want to make an attempt to go on, I have to do the same. I have to get away from here . I have to work." Alex knew Edmund would try to fight her on this, but she also knew he wouldn't win. He had his own wife and family to take care of without having to worry how she was making it through the day. 'I couldn't do that to Brooke…or to you,' she thought, observing him.

"So…you're going to give up on Max, just because Charlotte told Dimitri he was dead?"

Alex shook her head, "Neither of us is giving up on Max. O'Malley just hired the last man for his team of private investigators and he'll keep both me and Dimitri updated daily. I might even have better luck digging into Charlotte's connections from London than here. The only thing Dimitri and I have given up on is the notion of trying to do this ourselves…because we really don't know where to start anymore."

Edmund frowned, his expression letting her know that no matter what she was going to say, he wouldn't see it her way.

"I'm not running away from my home, Edmund…I'm going to London to work for a short time. You and Dimitri can reach me anytime and if I need to come back, it's an eight hour flight, that's all."

He still didn't look like he was convinced.

"I really need to do this..."

"I wish you'd reconsider. There's got to be another way that doesn't involve you traveling halfway across the world by yourself. No man is an island, Alex…we all need someone to lean on. Even you."

Alex smiled, "I _will_ have someone…Heidi lives less than a four hour drive from London. I'm going to spend every free moment with her. She could use a friend right now, too."

"It'll be Christmas in less than three weeks, why don't you wait until the new year before making this decision…or at least at until your arm's healed completely."

Alex breathed a sigh of relief when she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in…" Edmund answered tersely.

Stella cautiously opened the door, "Dr. Marick, I have Bianca Montgomery here to see you. She's waiting downstairs. I wasn't sure whether you were receiving visitors…"

"She's not," Edmund answered for her. Stella nodded politely, "I'll ask her to come back another time."

Alex raised her hand, "No, Stella. It's alright. Please ask her to come up. Edmund was just about to leave."

Edmund eyed her in disbelief. "I don't think this is a good idea, Alex."

Alex put her hand on his arm, letting him know she could handle it. "It's fine. I need to talk to her before I leave."

_Central Children's Orphanage, Paris, France_

Robin Scorpio paused before stepping into the gray, brick building for the second time this week. "Okay, this is it," she told herself. "One last visit, to make sure he's okay and then you are _not_ coming back here again. Ever."

This time the elderly woman smiled when she saw Robin. "Dr. Scorpio, are you back to drop off your papers? The ones for legal guardianship?"

"Actually…no. I just came to see the little boy again. The one named Max. I know you've given him a last name but I can't remember it." She bet that Max couldn't either.

"Oh…" The woman looked disappointed.

"Can I ask you something?" Robin questioned.

"Yes?"

"Has any family attempted to adopt him yet?"

The woman searched through her computer, "Max…Max…you mean, Max Grosseilliers, right?"

"Yes, that's the one."

The woman shook her head. "No. I don't think so...truthfully, it may be difficult to place him in a family." She looked at the information she had on her screen, "It says here he's of Roma descent and no matter what most Frenchmen say, the cold hard truth is that gypsy kids are always the last to find an adoptive family."

Robin felt like pounding her fist on the woman's desk. "We don't know that he's a gypsy!" she repeated. 'I'm starting to sound like a broken record, and I'm going to kill Pierre when I get back to the hospital,' she thought glumly. "And, what if he _is_ a gypsy?" she said to the woman. "So what? He's the sweetest, gentlest kid I've ever met. Have you seen him? The way his eyes light up when he smiles? He's beyond adorable."

The woman shrugged her shoulders, "I believe you…I would take him myself if I didn't already have three foster children. But another problem is the fact that he was abandoned in a park in the middle of the city. His medical history is a blank slate. People are reluctant to adopt kids that may have a genetic illness that may not appear until years later. On top of it, he's older and doesn't speak a word of French. All that makes him difficult to adopt."

Robin frowned, "It's all so wrong…"

The woman smiled at Robin, "I know it sounds cold. But you asked me for the facts and those are the facts. That doesn't mean it's not possible for someone to come here tomorrow, take one look at him and fall in love with him. He does have some advantages. For instance, he has no physical disabilities…"

Robin heard the sound of a school bell and just like the last time she was here, a group of young boys moved into the playroom after it rang.

"Can I go see him now?" Robin asked impatiently.

"Go ahead."

Robin walked into the huge room and observed the boys interacting noisily. She searched for Max and saw no trace of him. Her eyes scanned the room until she started to worry and went to ask one of the supervisors where he could be.

"He's probably been held back in the classroom for causing trouble again."

"Oh…" The statement took Robin by surprise. "Can I go see him in there?"

"Fine. But make it brief."

Robin raised her brows. 'And if I don't?' she thought, 'What are you going to do, make me sit in the corner?' As easygoing as she was, Robin knew that when push came to shove, she had inherited enough of her parent's feistiness to push back.

Robin walked down the hallway and saw Max sitting alone in an empty classroom. She opened the door and Max turned around to see who was coming in.

"Hey there…what are you doing here all by yourself, Max?" Robin walked towards him and sat down on the desk next to him. The large black and blue bruise that surrounded his entire left eye was the very first thing she saw. Robin looked at him in shock, "Max? What happened to you?"

He lowered his head, barely acknowledging her. "It's nothing."

Robin gently put her hand under his chin, forcing him to look at her. "Sweetie, its not nothing. Did someone hit you? I want you to tell me if they did. Nobody has a right to hit you."

"It doesn't matter…" he mumbled, with that soft English accent that still reminded her of her mother. There was no trace of anger or accusation in his declaration. Like the receptionist had done earlier, Max was simply pointing out the facts.

"Of course it matters, Max. I want you to tell me who did this to you, and I'll make sure whichever boy it is, he _will_ get punished. I promise you…"

"If you get him in trouble, he'll hit me again when you're gone." Max told her. "That's how it is here. It's different than my last school."

"Where was your last school?" Robin probed, jumping at the opening he'd given her. At the tiny chance to find out something, _anything,_ about him.

But the question made him clam up. Instead of an answer he offered her a long moment of tight-lipped silence. Whatever he was going to tell her wasn't related to his past.

"Why did someone hit you Max?" she asked him instead, dropping his least favourite subject as quickly as she had raised it.

"Because I hit him."

"Aww…Max. Didn't I tell you to try and ignore them? You said you'd try for me."

Max lowered his face, his cheeks red. "He called my mum a dog. A dirty dog."

Robin winced. "How do you know that, Max? I thought you didn't understand what they're saying."

Max pointed to the pictures on the wall. "_Le chien_… the dog, _la mere_… the mother, _la maison_… the house, _le bateau_… the boat…"

Robin smiled in spite of herself. She felt proud that he was so clever. "Hey that's fantastic, Max! You're picking up the language so fast!"

"It's what they say to me,_ chien sale, chien de gitan_…"

Robin pictured the words in her mind. _Dirty dog. Gypsy dog. _Why were kids so damn cruel?

"I don't care if they call me that," Max told her, "But not my mum. I hit him in class. If he says it again, I'll hit him again. I don't care."

"Max…" Robin didn't know what to say. He'd been abandoned. Most likely abused. Badly enough that'd he'd stay here rather than risk the thought of being brought back to where he came from. Yet he was willing to suffer a black eye rather than have someone insult his mother. Nothing about Max made any sense.

'You don't deserve his love. Or his loyalty...' she thought angrily of the woman who had left him behind.

Robin wondered whether his mother was really dead as Max had told her or whether that's what he wanted to believe. And if she wasn't how she could possibly abandon a child like him.

Robin wanted to hug him, but she settled for stroking his hair. Max didn't acknowledge the gesture. Instead he picked up a coloured crayon and kept working on the drawing he had started on before she came.

"Tell me about your Mom, Max." Robin asked, gently. Surely if he was willing to suffer black eye for her, he would venture a recollection.

"No," he said firmly, without hesitation. "She's dead."

Robin frowned. Maybe she really _was _dead. After all, Max hadn't lied to her yet, of that she was certain. It would make more sense, she realized. That he had been loved by his parents, or at least his mother. And then when they died he was probably given to relatives who didn't. Who first abused and then abandoned him.

"That's okay," Robin condeded. "You don't have to talk about her if you don't want to. Tell me what you're drawing."

"It's a castle."

"What kind of a castle?"

"My Dad's castle in America. It's called Wildwind. It's huge and full of secret passages and there's stables with loads of horses."

Robin looked at it and then at Max, giving him a halfhearted grin, "It's nice. Nice name too, did you make that up? Looks pretty gothic. Will you tell me something about your Dad if you won't tell me about your Mom? Is he a Prince, Max?"

"Not a Prince, a Count. He's Hungarian."

Robin raised her brows, impressed by the details of his imagination. "But he lives in America?"

"That where all his business is. He's really, really rich. He owns lots of diamonds."

Robin wasn't sure what to make of his tale, "Diamonds, really? That's a nice story, Max."

He turned around to look at her with his large, dark eyes and he looked irritated for the first time. "It's not a story. I'm not making it up."

What little boy didn't want to believe his father was a rich prince, Robin admitted. "I'm American too, Max," she offered. "Like your Dad."

He nodded, "I know. You talk the same way he does." He paused, correcting himself. "The same way he _did_."

The bell rang again and Max got up. "I have to go now."

"Will you give me a hug before you go?"

Max shook his head.

"Why not?" Robin asked.

"Because then I'll miss you."

Robin bit her lip. Was he_ trying_ to break her heart? "That's okay, Max. I understand," was all she trusted her voice to say.

He picked up his drawing and ripped it into four pieces, throwing it into the garbage bin before he left the room. He turned around a final time before he closed the door behind him, with a sombre look. "Bye, Robin."

"Bye, Max."

Robin sat alone in the classroom and started to cry. 'Why did I come here again? This is ridiculous…and what _is_ it about him that just won't allow me to let go?'

She stared at the ceiling, speaking to no one. "I don't know what you're trying to tell me, but I _can't_ adopt this kid…I can't." She had two months left of her residency at St.Agathe and then she had considered going back to the Sorbonne or perhaps even a college in the US to specialize in pediatric medicine. "I can't do that if I'm going to be foster mom to a little boy. So what if he's being picked on? Don't we all get picked on at some point? It'll just make him tougher and stronger. Strong is good."

"I want to go back to the US," she realized. "I miss my family. I miss Mac, Felicia, Maxie and Georgie. If I take in a ward of the French state I can't leave the country and I can forget about going back to school," she tried to reason. "For all I know, his mysterious relatives could show up here next week and claim that little boy."

She ran her fingers through her dark, shoulder length hair. "No way. I am not going to consider this. It's not an option."

She walked out of the room, reaching into the garbage bin, pulling out the pieces of Max's torn drawing before turning off the lights.

As she walked down the hallway, Robin glanced into the dining hall and saw Max and his bruised face sitting by himself, playing with the food on his plate.

Robin picked up her pace as she walked past the receptionist.

"Dr. Scorpio, how was your visit?" the woman asked.

Robin zipped up her jacket, trying not to make eye contact. "It was fine," she replied as she hastily made her way out of the building.

Twenty minutes later, Robin came back.

She gave the receptionist an apologetic smile, "You know those papers you gave me last week?"

The woman nodded, "Yes?"

"I misplaced them. Do you think I could have another copy?"


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter XXXII

_E il bambino  
Con occhi chiusi  
Lui non si muove  
Perso e gia _

_And the boy  
Eyes closed  
He doesn't move  
He's already lost _

_Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley, PA_

Bianca Montgomery wondered if Stella knew what happened, as she followed her up the staircase to Alex's office.

'Does she know I'm the reason Dimitri and Alex lost their child?' Bianca stared at her, trying to read her expression, when she turned around.

Stella opened the door of the office with a welcoming smile. "There you go. Dr. Marick is expecting you."

'She doesn't know,' Bianca decided. She was being far too nice.

Bianca saw Alex sitting next to a desktop computer, inviting her to take a seat beside her just as Edmund got up to leave. Edmund glanced at Bianca, his eyes issuing her an unspoken warning not to upset his sister-in-law.

'_He_ knows,' she realized. 'And he hates me now.'

Edmund said nothing as he left the room.

Bianca's hands started to shake.

Alex noticed her nervousness. "I know this is difficult for you, Bianca. It took a lot of guts for you to come and see me."

Bianca started to cry. She had always been emotional but after the shooting, anything and everything could bring tears to her eyes. Endless tears of regret that left her feeling empty and cold.

Alex got up and put her arms around her.

The unexpected gesture only increased the flow of Bianca's tears. "I don't deserve your kindness," she said between sobs.

Alex took out a tissue and helped her wipe away her tears, "Sure you do."

Bianca took a deep breath, slowly composing herself. "I came here because I wanted you to know how sorry I am. If there was anything I could do to change things, anything at all, I would do it, Alex."

Alex made her sit down on the nearest chair, "We can't change the past, Bianca. I don't want you to wrack yourself with guilt over this. It's not going to help me, it's not going to help you and it certainly won't bring back the baby. You were drugged when you shot me. I know that."

"But that's just it, Alex. I don't think I was drugged…I _knew_ what I was doing…"

Alex shook her head, "You didn't, Bianca. I've seen enough drugged people to know what the physical symptoms are. You were pale and ill and shaking. You threw up on the roadside."

Bianca lowered her voice, "I desperately wanted to stay with Charlotte. The drugs might have enhanced that feeling, but it was there to begin with…"

"I don't understand?"

"I thought that, maybe, she was offering me something really special. That Brynn Wydd was where I was meant to be. I started doubting so many things when I was there..."

"Things like what?" Alex asked.

"I got the impression that Charlotte wanted me to work for her…she showed me everything and told me all about Brynn Wydd. She took me into her confidence. She treated me like I was this amazing person…smart, capable…. But more than that, I got the feeling that she liked me, Alex."

Alex still didn't get it. "Everyone I know likes you, Bianca."

"Not like that. I think she l_iked _me."

Alex widened her eyes, "Are you suggesting my mother was...?"

"Gay," Bianca whispered. "Yes. I'm sorry, I feel so strange telling you this."

"Wow," Alex exhaled slowly, then smiled a lopsided smile. "Don't be...it, well, it explains some things. But in the end it doesn't change anything."

"It doesn't explain what I did..."

"My mother can be very persuasive when she wants something. Trust me. If she wanted you, she would have done whatever it took to get you on her side..."

"I feel like I was such a fool."

"Bianca, I know you didn't mean to shoot me. Charlotte's hold over someone can be as powerful as any hallucinogenic drug and I have no doubts that she _did_ drug you. It's her speciality."

Bianca felt overwhelmed. "How can you find in your heart to forgive me, even after what I've told you now?"

"Oh, sweetheart, I know Charlotte and I know you. Would it make you feel any better if I told you some of the horrible things I've done under Charlotte's grasp? I even understand why you might have been tempted by what she had to offer."

Bianca eyed her sadly, wondering whether she really understood what she was trying to say. "You don't know what it's like to be me, Alex. What it's like to be gay, in the world of Erica Kane."

Alex brushed Bianca's hair from her face, "If that world makes you feel uncomfortable, then you have to leave it, Bianca."

"I know that…but how do you leave your mother, Alex?"

Alex bit her lip. "Maybe I'm not best person to give you advice on that one. Look.. I'm not Erica's biggest fan, but I know she loves you deeply. I saw it when we were looking for you. She'd move heaven and earth to find you."

"I know my mom loves me," Bianca agreed. "But I also know that deep inside she wishes that I wasn't gay. She hides it, and tells me she's come to terms with it…but I know it's not entirely true. So many mornings I wake up and wish that I wasn't who I am…"

Alex kneeled down next to her chair and took one of Bianca's hands in hers, "It's hard to be different, isn't it? I know what it's like to feel like you're never good enough…and in spite of everything that Charlotte did to me, there were so many times when I wished I _could_ have been the person she wanted me to be. I wanted to be Anna, the twin she wanted. The strong one. But if I didn't have the gift of healing, if I hadn't been _different,_ I never would have escaped my mother's world. I knew I didn't belong there. It's why I'm here today, why I met Dimitri. Maybe if you had been the daughter your mother wanted you to be, maybe that would prevent you from following the path that's been set out for you."

"Do you really believe that, Alex?"

"Of course I do…I believe that you're meant to do something other than take over your mother's cosmetics company. That your gift is your reason to move away from your mother's world and follow your destiny. You're so smart, Bianca…maybe you were meant be a member of the Foreign Service, a politician or a diplomat. A leader in someplace where you're going to make a difference."

For the first time since entering Wildwind, Bianca no longer felt as though she was about to burst into tears. "I never thought of it that way…that this…that being gay, could be a gift."

"All you have to do now is use that gift to make a difference somewhere, to someone."

Bianca nodded, "I will…for you and for the baby."

Alex shook her head , "No…not for me. For _you_." She took out a piece of paper and wrote down an address and phone number. "I'm leaving Pine Valley in four days, for a while, to work at this hospital. Will you give me a call, or come and visit, to let me know, you're okay?"

"I'll do that…I promise." Bianca got up and gave her a final hug. "I have to tell you something else... I used to want so badly for Mom and Dimitri to get back together. But I think I can also understand why Dimitri missed you so much, for so long...I'm...I'm really happy you found each other again. You both deserve it."

Alex squeezed her a little tighter and Bianca could have sworn that her eyes were moist too. "Thanks."

_Central Children's Orphanage, Paris, France_

Once again Robin neared the ugly, gray brick building that housed the children's orphanage of central Paris.

She had worked through the night in the Emergency Room at St.Agathe and decided to make a stop here, before going to sleep for the rest of the day.

The boys were outside on the playground and Robin made the obligatory stop at the receptionist's desk to obtain permission to visit her newfound friend again.

When she walked to the playground she saw Max sitting on one of the swings by himself. The bruise on his left eye was starting to heal, leaving behind a ghastly mix of blue, yellow, and black colouring all over his face. 'A face only a mother, _or a legal guardian_, could love,' Robin thought, with a grin.

Robin sat down on the swing next to him. "Hey, Max. Remember me? Don't I even get a 'hello'?"

He gave her a sheepish smile, "Hi, Robin. How come you're here again?"

"Maybe I missed you. How's it going?"

Max shrugged his shoulders.

Robin took out something from her purse. "Here, I wanted to show you something." It was the drawing he had made when she had come to see him last time; the drawing of his father's castle in America. Robin had taped it back together and laminated it, so he wouldn't be able to tear it apart a second time.

Max looked at it in suprise, "How did you do that?"

"I liked it, so I wanted to keep it. Do you mind?"

"But I threw it away…?" Max looked at her in disbelief.

Robin grinned, "I know, but I took it out of the garbage. It's beautiful."

"No. It's not," he said, blushing, "I'm not very good at drawing."

"It's your Dad's castle, how can it not be beautiful?" Robin asked him gently.

Max gave her another smile. A warm, heartbreaking smile that lit up his entire bruised face. "My Dad's house _is_ beautiful…and it's so big. I wish I was there. " The smile stayed on his face as he drifted away in his imagination.

"I don't have a castle, Max, but I was wondering, would you consider coming to live with me?"

Max raised his eyebrows, "You mean instead of living here?"

"You'd live with me. During the day, you'd go to a regular school. I'd be like your foster mom to start, and after that I could start the process of legal adoption."

"Really?"

"I'm not sure yet whether I'll get it, but I wanted to ask you first, before I started the whole process of applying for guardianship of you. I wanted to make sure it's okay with you and that it's what you wanted too."

His expression was unreadable. "Do you really mean it?" he finally asked, wrinkling his nose.

"I wouldn't ask you if I didn't mean it."

"What if you decide later that you don't like me?"

Robin smirked, "I've already decided that I do."

Judging from his smile he liked her answer. "What do I have to do?"

Robin took a deep breath. As insane as this was, there was no backing out of it now. "You don't have to _do_ anything," she told him "You just have to be patient with me until I go through all the necessary steps to become your legal guardian. It could take a few weeks, maybe even longer. And there's no guarantee I'll get it, but I promise you I'll do everything I can."

He hopped off his swing and walked over to wrap his arms around her. "Thanks, Robin."

Max held on to her as if he didn't want to let go and whatever remaining doubts she had were dispelled. She kissed his cheeks, "Maybe, if we get really lucky, you could be with me in time for Christmas."

Robin spent the rest of his break with him, amazed at the change in him. At the hopefulness that was written all over his face now.

Still, after leaving the building, Robin's knees started to shake and she was forced to sit down at a park bench. She noticed her hands too, were trembling. She felt overwhelmed all of a sudden. 'This is so crazy…what in the world am I thinking? Can I really do this? Or am I kidding myself?'

'I don't even have my own place…I need to find an apartment right away, preferably something close to a primary school. I need to call Mac and get him to write me a reference. I'll probably need to have a new check-up as well to ensure I have a clean bill of health...' There was so much to do.

Robin looked up towards tree branches blocking the sky above her. Mom, Dad…you're going to be grandparents!" she announced, laughing nervously. "I think you'll love him. His name is Max, and you know what, he even looks and _sounds_ like you, Mom." Robin knew _that_ fact alone would have enabled Max to wrap her father around his little finger. What she wouldn't give to be able to see her parents with Max!

Robin closed her eyes and this time she saw Stone. "I wish you were here to see him too…I know you'd adore him. This boy…he came into my life the same way you did. He took me completely by surprise. Just when I'd resigned myself to never having children. No matter how low the risk might be of transmitting HIV to the baby, any risk at all would have been too great a risk for me to want to take. And then this boy comes into my life, into my ER after someone finds him in a city park, next to the train station." Robin laughed again, "Like he fell from the sky, out of nowhere."

She paused and bit her nails; a nervous habit she'd only recently acquired. She kept talking to Stone, knowing without a doubt that he was somehow able to hear, "I don't think this boy came into my life to complicate it or to ruin my career plans, just like you didn't come into my life to give me HIV. You came into my life to show me love…and I think this boy is going to do the same thing."

Robin took her eyes off the sky and looked straight ahead into the part, the doubts and worries starting to fade.

"I _can_ do this because I know in my heart it feels right. This boy is _a gift_, like you were, Stone, and, you know what? I think I'm ready to accept it. "


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter XXXIII **

_Padre oh padre  
Hai gia sentito  
Cosa mi dice  
E che vuol' far? _

_Father oh father  
Have you heard  
what he said  
And what he will do? _

_Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley, PA, _

_Two weeks later_

It was Brooke who caught the first glimpse of Dimitri as he walked through the massive front doors of Wildwind.

She had to suppress a smile when she saw his beard and lumberjack shirt, "Well, hi there. Are you trying to sneak into your own home?"

Dimitri offered her a smile in return, "I was hoping to freshen up before facing the rest of the family."

"Before facing your brother's wrath, you mean?" she added, only half joking. She offered to take one of his bags for him, but he refused.

"I know Edmund's angry with me," he told her, taking off his jacket. His brother had left him several less than subtle messages during his time in Northern Canada, none of which Dimitri had returned.

"You literally left without a word, in the middle of the night," Brooke reminded him gently, "You can't blame Edmund for being angry, Dimitri."

"I _had_ to leave."

Brooke sighed. "You were overwhelmed, I know, but you didn't _have_ to leave. Not like that." It was obvious whose side she was on.

She didn't have the chance to say anything else when Maddie came running down the stairs, in her pajamas, interrupting their conversation. "I thought I heard you! Uncle Dimitri! You're back!" She gave him a heartfelt hug that Dimitri returned gratefully. "I knew you'd come home for Christmas. Dad said you wouldn't but I knew you would."

"_Are_ you?" Brooke asked, encouraged by Maddie's outburst. "Are you coming home for Christmas?"

Dimitri averted her gaze, not willing to offer a reply.

Instead he turned to Maddie, "Sweetie, I should run upstairs and grab a shower before…"

Another voice interrupted him this time.

"Before what? Before you run into me?" Edmund had stepped out of the study and into the hallway where the three of them were standing.

Dimitri rubbed his temples. His exhaustion had caught up with him. Earlier, his jet had been forced to land in Edmonton due to weather conditions, a stop that doubled the length of his flight. As if that wasn't enough, the heavy headwinds also required an additional refueling stop in Chicago.

"Don't be mad at Uncle Dimitri," Maddie scolded her father. "You said you wanted him to come back and here he is. If you get mad at him, you'll just give him a reason to leave again."

Brooke put an arm around her husband's daughter, "I think this is our cue to leave, sweetheart. I want to have a look at your history project; you know the one you said you spent the entire day working on? When I could've sworn I heard you talking on the phone most of the day…"

"Ah Brooke, come on…" she protested, "I want to spend some time with Uncle Dimitri."

Brooke gave her a push up the stairs, "Not now." She mouthed the words, 'Be gentle' in Edmund's direction before making her way upstairs with Maddie.

"I want to talk to you in the study," Edmund told him. It wasn't a request.

"It's good to see you too, little brother," Dimitri replied dryly.

The two men moved into the mahogany-paneled study and Edmund closed the door shut behind him. Dimitri put down one of his black leather travel bags and poured himself a sip of cognac, in weary anticipation of Edmund's lecture.

"So you waltz in here, in the late evening, reappearing as suddenly as you disappear…"

"This is my home too," Dimitri cut in, in no mood for what he knew he was about to hear. "I'd like to think I can come and go as I please."

"You're too late. Alex is gone," Edmund told him, ignoring Dimitri's remark.

"I know."

"Have you spoken with her?"

Dimitri shook his head. "She left a message on my phone, with her address and phone number in London."

Edmund gave him a tight-lipped smile, "Of course, Dimi. I'd forgotten that you don't answer your phone anymore these days. Even your wife has to leave you messages. I hope at least she gets the courtesy of a return call."

Dimitri put down his glass and eyed Edmund, "Are you quite done?" He picked up his bags, ready to turn around and leave the room.

Edmund grabbed his arm, "Why are you doing this to yourself, Dimi? Is this some sort of self-inflicted punishment? Do you seriously believe Alex is better off without you? Your son is kidnapped and you lose your unborn child in a series of circumstances completely beyond your control and then you distance yourself from the one person you still have left, the one person who understands exactly what you're going through, the _one_ person in this world who needs you more than anyone else?"

"Don't go there." Dimitri pushed his brother's hand off his arm, "This is _my_ loss…_my_ son and _my_ wife. Not yours. I don't need you to tell me what to do or how to feel!"

"Like hell you don't!" Edmund shot back. "You're my brother. I love both you and Alex and I'm not going to just sit here and watch you both self distruct."

Dimitri knew he looked as drained as he felt. He was a lousy opponent against his younger brother tonight. "I didn't come here to argue with you or to listen to a lecture. I came home for one reason only; because I need to meet with O'Malley and his men and it made more sense for me to come here rather than fly the six of them to Ekati. I'll be leaving again the day after tomorrow."

"I can't believe you." Edmund shook his head in disbelief, trying for a last plea of reason. "Please, Dimi. Don't shut me out…let me help you. Let Alex help you…you're my only brother. It kills me to see you like this."

Dimitri hated hurting him but he also knew he was utterly incapable of giving Edmund what he was asking for. "I'm going upstairs now to take a shower." He picked up his bags again, making his way out the study. He turned around and offered Edmund a final glance. "And to answer your question, yes I do believe Alex is better off without me."

_St.Bartholomew's Hospital, London, England_

It was nearly one in the morning and Alex sat alone in the hospital cafeteria, forcing herself to dig her plastic fork into the soggy meat pie that was crumbling on the plate in front of her. She sat at a table in the corner and the only other people in the room were a group of nurses, chatting two tables down from her. She debated whether to drive home in her newly leased Mercedes to the furnished flat she had barely spent a day in, since her arrival in London. Or whether it was a reckless idea, given how exhausted she was.

She put down her fork, deciding she didn't have the energy to eat. Sleep was the only thing she wanted now and she wanted it in her own bedroom, not on a hospital cot, in a closet sized room shared with a couple of over-worked interns. 'I shouldn't drive…'she decided. She decided she'd take a taxi home and another one back to work the next day.

It was hard to believe it had only been five days ago that she started working in the Emergency Room at St. Bartholomew's. It felt more like five weeks. They had been five unfathomably long days. Days that reminded her of her residency and made her realize how much she had forgotten since then. Emergency Medicine was so far removed from what she had been doing the last ten years, it felt like am entirely different occupation. She struggled to keep the pace of the other doctors and had done so many things wrong this past week, she was mildly surprised she still had her job. Coming here had been a mad idea and at the same time, David Hayward had been right. It was exactly what she needed. She needed to do something that kept her so busy it wouldn't give her a single moment to think.

She lost track of the patients she had treated in the last five days and there was always another one waiting next in line. Stab wounds, motor vehicle accidents, workplace injuries, food poisonings, mothers with sick infants, professionals with alcohol poisoning. It was the kind of unrelenting chaos that guaranteed her an exhausted, dreamless sleep every night.

Alex barely noticed that Dr. Sanjay Singh had pulled up a chair and sat down next to her.

Dr. Singh was in charge of the ER and although Alex had barely gotten the time to get to know him, she liked what little she had seen. For someone in charge of one of the most hectic inner-city ER's Alex had ever seen, Dr. Singh ran it with a surprisingly human touch. She hadn't once heard him raise his voice, a fact that didn't diminish his staff's respect for him. One evening she had seen him blow up a balloon to comfort a little girl with a broken arm.

"Good evening, Alexandra." His voice was soft and he had a lyrical, unmistakeably Indian accent. He smiled, showing off a perfect row of perfect white teeth, in stark contrast to his dark brown skin. "Or perhaps I should say, 'Good morning.'" Alex guessed he was about ten years older than her. He sported a neatly trimmed salt and pepper beard.

She made an attempt to open her eyes wide enough to look half-awake, "Good evening, Dr. Singh."

"Please. My name is Sanjay. We're all colleagues here, Alexandra. I want to apologize for not having had the chance to talk to you since you've come on board. It's something I like to do with all members of my staff."

'That must be quite the challenge,' Alex thought. In the mere five days that Alex had been here, two new doctors had appeared and three others had quit. The staff turnover at St. Bart's, which David had only hinted at, was horrendous and unlike anything Alex had ever seen. She knew the reason behind it rested largely on the shoulders of one man; the Chief of Staff, Dr. Hugh Watson, who ran the hospital with an iron fist. Alex had yet to hear something positive about him, aside from his many former achievements as a cardio-thoracic surgeon.

"I've watched you work, Alexandra…" Sanjay started, then paused as if debating how to continue.

Alex cringed, sensing what was coming. "It's been a while since...I've worked in this kind of environment."

Sanjay gave her an easy smile, "How do you take criticism, Alexandra?"

Alex gave him a lopsided smile in return. "I have a feeling you're about to find out."

"I'm' going to be honest with you. You're... a lousy ER physician. You're slow and meticulous and you spend far too much time with each patient." His tone of voice was neither unkind nor condescending. He was merely pointing out things that Alex could have told him herself.

"I know..." Alex agreed. Maybe criticism was easier to take when you were too tired to care.

Dr. Singh took a moment to reflect and look at her, "Needless to say I'm somewhat surprised to see that you came here with high recommendations from one of my American colleagues."

"It's been a long time since I've worked in a hospital this size, I need a bit of time to get used to it," Alex explained.

"The only thing that makes me reconsider letting you go, is that..." he smiled again. That same easy going smile. "Well, as you can imagine, if I did I'd be even more miserably short staffed than I already am."

"Thanks...I think."

"Your saving grace is that I've yet to see you make a wrong diagnosis. I appreciate thoroughness, Alexandra. It can make up for other shortcomings. But unfortunately emergency medicine doesn't always allow for that luxury."

"I know," Alex agreed, wondering where he was heading.

"Two days ago you ordered a whole battery of very time consuming tests run on a teenager that one of your colleagues, Dr. Wong, had already diagnosed with influenza. When I heard about it I was ready to come down and wring your neck. I thought to myself, how could she be _this_ arrogant…"

"But the diagnosis I made…" Alex was about to protest. She had enough energy for _some_ indignation.

"It was correct, I know. And, truthfully, it shocked me. After only a cursory examination and one set of MRI results, you correctly speculated that this boy might have an extremely rare neurological disorder; a disease so uncommon most ER physicians, myself included, have barely _heard_ of it. Do you know what I did with his case file, Alexandra? I took it home to my wife, who is a neurologist, and you know what she says to me? That you would most certainly have to have a background in neurology to pick up the irregularities of that boy's brain functions. My wife wanted me to let you know she thinks you made an incredible diagnosis and you probably saved this boy's life with it. Brilliant, was the word she used."

Alex watched Sanjay, still not sure what to say.

"Are you a neurologist, Alexandra?" He smiled, "Please know that I appreciate honesty as much as I appreciate thoroughness."

Alex frowned, debating her answer. There was no point in lying. He could find out the truth with one phone call. Less than a week and already her cover was blown. "I am, yes," she admitted.

Sanjay looked at her with disbelief, his face showing its first trace of irritation. "Why would you hide that?"

"It wasn't my intent to hide it. Rather I didn't want to advertise it."

"Why not?" Sanjay pressed. "Why would you want to work in one of the craziest ERs in the country, for one of the most miserable Chiefs of Staff you'll ever meet." He seemed taken aback by the force of his words, then managed a smile. "No, you didn't hear that from me. I don't understand, Alexandra, are recovering from a malpractice suit in America? Is this a joke for you? A personal challenge?"

Alex's instincts trusted him, even if she would have preferred not to have this conversation. Even if she was starting to feel like a high school student in the principal's office. "My profession's not a joke to me. I'm a medical researcher, Sanjay. It's what I've spent most of my life doing. I also used to have a practice here in London and most recently I was director of a global non-profit research foundation. The Andrassy Foundation…"

"The Andrassy Foundation for Rare and Incurable Diseases…" he slowly finished for her, as the truth dawned on him. "Oh god, it's all making sense to me now. Headed by Alexandra Devane, global pioneer in stem cell research… you're...wow, you're one and the same, aren't you?" He ran a hand over his forehead incredulously, "Here, I'm telling you you're a lousy physician."

"I _am_ out of my element," she conceded.

"What in the world are you doing in my ER?" he demanded. "Watson would have a fit knowing one of the foremost medical researchers in the country is toiling away in his ER, instead of...doing groundbreaking work in our labs?"

"I lost my son, Sanjay, and I needed to get away. To work. Not in a lab, but with people. That's all. No mystery and no malpractice suits. Just a personal agenda that I'm hoping I can trust you to keep between us."

"I'm sorry about your son, Alexandra." Sanjay's expression was genuinely sympathetic. "I have five daughters. I wouldn't know what to do if anything were to happen to any one of them. They are my life. I think I would go mad with grief.'' He paused, ''Knowing what I know now, things...they make sense to me now. I wish you had told me sooner."

"It's been a long time since I've worked in an ER. I know I have a lot to re-learn," Alex told him. "But I'm hoping you'll give me a chance."

"I'll not only give you a chance, I will help you out myself. The things you have to learn are minimal compared to the things you could teach my staff."

"I think you're too late for flattery," Alex smirked.

Sanjay smiled, but his eyes were serious. "I pride myself on being a perfectionist, Alexandra. This is not a job for me, it's a calling. Some days I want to weep because I know this hospital is so desperate for staff it will hire anyone with a medical degree and a basic command of the English language. I want to weep because I feel like I'm supervising students who are only working here because it's a stepping stone. A necessary evil. The thought of having a physician of your calibre to work alongside gives me goosebumps. I've read some of your work and it's an understatement to say that it's groundbreaking. The thought of..." His face lit up now. "The idea of _learning_, rather than teaching is thrilling to me." He sighed, "The only drawback is that Watson will be furious is he finds out."

"I don't want to cause you any problems."

His smile spread. "Oh, it's a risk I'm willing to take. You secret is safe with me, Alexandra,'' he told her. ''In fact, if you don't mind, I'd like to start this conversation all over again." He got up and extended his hand, his jet-black eyes twinkling in the light of the cafeteria, "Good evening. I'm Dr. Sanjay Singh. It's an honour to have you on my team."


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter XXXIV

_Padre oh padre  
Re degli elfi  
Mi sta toccando  
Male mi fa _

_Father oh father  
It's the King of the elves  
He is touching me  
He is hurting me _

_Brynn Wydd, Wales _

_Three months later_

It was after ten in the evening, when Alex climbed the steps into Heidi's apartment above the butcher shop. She carefully took out her keys and tried to slip in quietly in case her friend was already asleep.

Instead, once she was inside, she saw Heidi sitting in front of the television, lights still on. Heidi smiled when she saw Alex enter, "You made it."

Alex gave her an apologetic shrug, "I know…it's late. I got stuck at the hospital. A three-year-old girl with uncontrollable seizures. It was one of the most unique things I've ever seen. They're contemplating surgery to remove a large portion of her brain in order to control the seizures."

Heidi turned to Alex, "What time did you start work this morning?"

Alex sat down next to her, yawning. "I'm not sure exactly."

"So you work who knows how long and then you drive here for four hours?"

"_Three_ hours," Alex corrected her.

"I forget. You don't believe in speed limits," Heidi sighed. "I wish you wouldn't do that, it worries me. You're going to fall asleep behind the wheel one day."

Alex raised her brows, not sure what to make of the tone in her friend's voice. "No lecture, okay?"

"I'd like you to be around to get to know my child."

Alex smirked, "Oh I will, don't you worry."

Coming here had become a routine in the last two months. Whatever moment of her life wasn't taken up with work or sleep, Alex spent with Heidi. As long as she was with Heidi, she could handle thoughts of Max. On her own, she wasn't so sure.

Actually, she was sure.

On the rare occasions that Heidi went out of town, to spend time with her deceased husband's relatives, Alex had gone to Charlotte's Brynn Wydd, trying to climb its gates once, an act that had nearly gotten her arrested. She had also gone to see the investigators she'd hired to help find Max, and ended up throwing a paperweight through a glass coffee table in their office, after they compared their search for her son to trying to find a needle in a haystack. It didn't help that they were right. Charlotte could have spirited Max off to any corner of the world. Alex didn't know where to begin searching, afraid that if she did, she'd go mad with the futility of it all.

_If _he was still alive.

Alex hastily pushed the thought from her mind and stared at the chunk of meat that was sitting on Heidi's plate, "What are you eating?"

Heidi's cheeks blushed red. "It's just some meat, I had a craving…" she mumbled.

Alex looked at it in dismay. She knew that Heidi loved to eat. She didn't begrudge her that, but there was denying she was overweight and Alex worried about her health. Especially now. Trying to get her best friend to eat a healthier diet during her pregnancy had been a monumental struggle. The meat sitting on her plate now was plenty proof of that. "Come on, this isn't meat, it's all fat. It's a heart attack on a plate, really, that's what it is."

Heidi's cheeks turned a darker red. "I don't come to your flat and examine what you eat. You said you didn't want a lecture. Well, I don't want one either."

"Heidi, you've got to think about the baby!"

Now Heidi looked like she was close to tears, "This is my house and what I eat is _my_ business, okay?"

Heidi was the gentlest person she knew. Part of her wanted to let it go, but another part of her was frustrated to the point of anger. "But it's _not_ just your business…we're talking about an unborn child. You already have high blood pressure." Alex thought of the child she lost. The child who would have been born shortly after Heidi's. "Why don't you start smoking and drinking while you're at it?" she added, with a bitterness she didn't mean, but couldn't help.

In turn, Heidi's eyes were swollen with angry tears. "You're one to talk about healthy living, working yourself to exhaustion every night! I just pray to God that you're not taking drugs to keep up your insane schedule."

"You know me better than that," Alex snapped back.

"As if _that_ kind of lifestyle would have been have been better if you were still pregnant…"

The words stung and Alex felt the tears well up in her eyes too.

Seeing the effect of her words changed Heidi's expression to one of regret. "Oh Alex, I'm sorry…you know I didn't meant that."

Tears fell down her cheeks and Alex said nothing as Heidi got up to put her arms around her.

"I know," Alex nodded, wiping away her tears. Heidi didn't have a single mean-spirited bone in her body. "I'm sorry too. Sometimes I think I'm trying to substitute your baby for the one I lost. it's become an obsession…but I just want so much for it to be born healthy, to be given a fighting chance."

Heidi pushed away the plate she'd been eating from, in a gesture of reconcilliation. "You're not the only one who bugs me about what I eat. Philip used to tell me he'd stop selling bacon at the shop if that's what it would take for me to stop eating it. It's a terrible habit, I know." Heidi smiled at the memory and glanced back at Alex, "You can't understand why I won't do everything to make sure this baby's healthy. The same way I can't understand why you're purposely pushing away your husband when I would give up everything to have Philip back, even if only for a few minutes."

"It's complicated..." Alex said softly. Her anger too, was gone as quickly as it had come.

"No, it's not. I don't know Dimitri very well but I know he loves you and you love him. In spite of everything, you still have each other and you're throwing it away. How long has it been since you've seen him? Two or three months?"

Alex frowned. Fatigue was starting to overwhelm her in the inviting comfort of Heidi's home. It was difficult now to keep her eyes open.

The hectic work at the hospital often made her forget the iron she was supposed to take, and, as a result, the room spun around her as she got up. "I know you mean well but I don't want to talk about this now."

"Alex?" Heidi jumped up from the sofa, as fast as her pregnant state allowed, when she saw Alex holding on to the wall. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she mumbled as she made her way to the bathroom, grateful that the room had stopped spinning.

Heidi shook her head and placed a flat palm on her pounding heart. As much as Alex could aggravate her, she loved her like a sister and hated that she was impossible to help. She was also convinced that worrying about Alex was more likely to give her a heart attack than her diet. "Give her strength, please," Heidi voiced a quiet prayer, as she heard Alex turn on the shower. For Heidi, things were rarely complex. She firmly believed that life was, by nature, simple, even after seven years of living with someone who was anything but. An idea suddenly occured to her, 'Maybe it's not Your strength she needs…'

Heidi waited until she no longer heard the sound of running water. Then she picked up her address book and dialed Dimitri's cell phone number.

At Ekati in Northern Canada, it was shortly after two-thirty in the afternoon and Dimitri had just finished tying the last lace on his thermal boots. He was about to leave his sleeping quarters at the mining compound and head out into the mine. One of the mining trucks had broken down yesterday with a combined vehicle and payload weight of nearly 240,000 pounds. Given the precariousness of the situation, Dimitri wanted to be there himself when the trucking company executives went on site to examine his costly equipment.

He heard the cell phone ring, prepared to ignore it. But when he saw the UK number on his display he picked it up without hesitating. Alex had only called him once since leaving for London and then it had been from a hospital payphone to let him know the name and phone number of the investigators she had hired at her end.

'Please let her be alright,' was his first thought. "Hello?"

"Dimitri? Is that you?" Heidi asked, with some hesitation.

"Heidi? Is something wrong with Alex?"

"No. No, she's fine," she reassured him, after hearing the panic in his voice. 'Maybe if had the nerve to call her once or twice, you wouldn't have to ask me that question. At least not the way you're asking it,' she thought to herself. Heidi held her hand over the receiver and called Alex. "There's a phone call for you!"

Alex came out of the bathroom, wearing a long ,white bathrobe, her wet hair dripping over it. "Who would call me here? No one knows I'm here."

Heidi shrugged her shoulders innocently, "I don't know."

She handed Alex the phone, avoiding her glance as she did.

"Hello?"

"Alex?" She heard Dimitri's voice on the other end. Had it really been more than three months since she had spoken with him? "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Dimitri? Yes…I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know…it's just that when I picked up the phone and saw Heidi's number…"

"You're not the one who called?" Heidi's ploy was starting to dawn on her and she was about to shoot her friend an icy look but Heidi had already, conveniently, left the room.

"No…Heidi called." He paused for an uncomfortable moment of silence, suddenly realizing that it didn't matter what Alex said or who made the call; he desperately wanted to hear her voice. The sound of it woke a longing in him that he had somehow buried for the last three months. "How are you? How is work at the hospital? You sound tired…"

"I just drove in from London. Work at St. Bart's is alright. It's a challenge sometimes…but I need that."

She paused, breathless at the sound of his voice. Simply hearing it made her painfully aware of how much she missed him. How much she wanted him to be here with her. To hear his voice. Feel his touch. 'I miss you so much,' she thought, wanting to say the words aloud. Wanting him to know.

"How is Heidi?" he asked, not willing to let her go just yet. He closed his eyes waiting for her to answer, picturing her standing next to him. Theirs had always been a natural, comfortable, intimacy and now that he was painfully aware of the distance between them he longed for it unlike anything he'd ever longed for.

"They're fine…" Her physical need to have Dimitri back was overwhelming. 'Will you come here?' she wanted to ask him, 'Please, come back to me…' She wanted so much to say the words. She wasn't too proud too ask, she was even willing to beg, but the reason she didn't voice them was because she feared he would answer with the two words that would break her heart; _'I can't.'_

"Heidi's pregnancy is going well…she…" Alex felt her voice give out, unable to say anything else, as fresh, hot tears ran down face.

Dimitri bit his lip, hating the effect the phone call had on her. Wishing he could somehow stop hurting her.

"I should go, Alex," he said softly. "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered in return. But she knew he didn't hear her.

He had already hung up.

_Central Children's Orphanage, Paris, France_

"How much longer?" Max asked Robin. He was sitting on her lap, on a swing outside the orphanage, his mouth half-full, eating a banana as he spoke.

Robin used her legs to push the swing a forward, feeling his weight on her thighs "Soon. Really soon now, maybe a week from today, I'm not sure exactly."

Three months after applying for guardianship of Max Grosseiliers, Robin now realized how unrealistically hopeful she had been in thinking he would live with her within a few weeks. Although the department of Child Welfare didn't seem to care whether Max was bullied and beaten at the orphanage he was at, they did care that Robin Scorpio was a young, single woman living with HIV.

But if Robin had learned anything in her young life, it was that fighting for what you believed in was usually worth it. And so, she fought for Max; even after both of her initial applications for his guardianship were rejected.

"I have to be honest with you," one of the women who interviewed her, had admitted, "I think your chances of getting this boy are slim to none."

Robin had smiled politely in return. 'What that really means is I'll have to try harder,' she had thought to herself. 'If you think rejecting these applications are hurdles for me, you should try living with HIV.'

She had since finished her internship at St Agathe and accepted a permanent position at the hospital, working in the ER. She had also found a two-bedroom rental apartment that was a short walk from a primary school. It would have been small and modest in the US, but almost palatial by Parisian standards, a city where closet sized flats were the norm.

One of the few things that she did have working in her favour was the fact that she was a doctor, a _practicing_ doctor now. In spite of their socialist leanings, the French revered titles and degrees and as a working physician Robin would now pull in a salary comparable to most couples. To top it off, not only her uncle but both her parents had been Police Commissioners. Her personal resume couldn't have been more stellar if she had made it up.

She was, by all accounts, an exemplary, upstanding citizen, whose quest for adoptive motherhood was hindered only by the fact that everyone thought she was likely to drop dead any moment.

She remembered her frustration well, during her final interview with a social worker, grinning now as she thought of the tirade she had launched when she finally lost her patience.

"_Monsieur Valcourt_," she had emphasized, after a careful pause. "With all due respect, let me repeat this once more: I don't smoke, I don't touch alcohol, I exercise regularly…I don't even eat junk food or play the lottery! I have provided you with half a dozen medical letters from half a dozen different physicians, one of whom is a leading AIDS expert in France, all stating that as long as I continue with my drug treatment I not only have an almost zero chance of contracting AIDS, I also have a _higher_ life expectancy than most others my age. In fact, according to statistics, I have a far greater chance of getting run over by a drunk driver as soon as I step outside this building, than dying of the virus I have in my body!"

And strangely enough, it was that final, unexpected outburst that seemed to have pushed the decision in her favour, as, five days later, she received a letter in the mail from the French government. A letter stating that the final papers were being drawn up for the legal adoption of the child now named Maximillien Grosseilliers and that they would be couriered to her home within the week.

In the meantime, Robin had used the delays in the proceedings to spend nearly all her free time with Max. In turn, the better she got to know him, the more he began to trust her.

Granted, there were still times when he was sullen and difficult, unwilling to answer even the simplest questions for her, but during those moments when he did let her into his heart, Robin was overwhelmed at the depth of her feelings for him.

She didn't blame him for not being ready to trust her, after all, he'd been abandoned, sick and bleeding in a city park, and no doubt afraid of being sent back to the very people who had left him there. Whenever she did hold him in her arms she marvelled at how anyone could ever have let him go. 'They better not come back at this point,' she thought, 'They're too damn late.'

Robin glanced at her watch, realizing she was late in taking her afternoon pills and she pulled them out of her purse, along with a small, plastic bottle of water.

Max frowned as he watched her. "Are you sure you're not sick?" he asked her.

"No, of course not. I told you, I have to take this stuff so I don't get sick. As long as I take these pills I'll be fine."

"But why so many pills?"

"Because they all work together to do their job. On their own they wouldn't be much use to me."

"My Mum could've helped you," he mumbled, as if thinking aloud.

Robin stroked his hair, "Hmmm…what did you say?'

Max shook his head, pursing his lips, "Nothing." He handed her the last piece of his banana, "I saved the last bite for you. Fruits are supposed to be good for you."

Robin laughed, "No…really I know how much you love those things. You go ahead. Take the last bite."

"Mum used to tell me I had to eat fruits. That they have vitamins to keep you from getting sick..." he told her, then turned away, embarassed that he'd given her such a wealth of personal information.

Robin wanted him to tell her more, because once again nothing made sense. His mother cared enough to make sure he ate right, but not enough to make sure he was looked after? More and more, Robin was convinced that something had happened to his parents and that it was his other relatives that had abandoned him. If only he would trust her enough to tell her more.

Max tugged at Robin's sleeve, "Please…will you eat it?"

"Oh, alright…" She took it out of the peel and kissed his cheek. His lips curled into one of his mischievous smiles in repsonse to it, and then Robin saw the other boys head back inside the building. "I guess that means good-bye for today." It became increasingly harder to leave him here.

"Are you going to come by tomorrow?" he asked, no longer fearing her answers.

Robin felt strangely optimistic, "You know what Max? I have a feeling the next time I come to see you, you're going to come home with me."

Max's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Have I lied to you yet?"

"No."

Robin grinned at him, "Get ready to say good-bye to this dull, gray building."


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter XXXV

_E il bambino  
Con occhi chiusi  
Lui non si muove  
Perso e gia _

_And the boy  
Eyes closed  
He doesn't move  
He's already lost _

_St.Bartholomew's Hospital, London, England _

_One week later_

"What the hell is this!?"

Alex nearly jumped out of her chair as a manila folder came crashing down on top of the paper she was writing on. It knocked the pen she was holding right out of her hand.

She raised her glasses in angry irritation only to see none other than the Chief of Staff, Dr. Hugh Watson, standing in front of her, with a scowl.

"Excuse me?" she asked, not hiding her annoyance. This would mark her third run-in with him this week and she was certain it would be the last one she could handle without giving him a piece of her mind. She could tolerate varying degrees of arrogance but this constant, blatant rudeness that bordered on harassment was too much.

"You authorized one of our residents, Dr. Cheung, to switch the pain treatment of one patient by the name of Samuel Makepeace. Is that correct?"

Alex nodded, "Yes, that's correct."

"You just decided to give this man, who was not even one of your patients, a habit forming drug that is almost eight times a potent as morphine. A drug that has the potential to cause respiratory failure in compromised patients such as Mr. Makepeace. What kind of physician would make such a careless, reckless decision?"

Alex now remembered the young man, in the end stages of AIDS, his face riddled with the purple lesions of Karposi's Sarcoma, crying out in pain last night, and the young, female doctor, who had come to her for help. "Habit forming, for someone who has at best a week left to live? At this point in his life, respiratory failure would most certainly be a blessing for Mr. Makepeace."

Dr. Watson looked at her with unmasked disdain. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Were it not for a jaw that was too square, he would have been a handsome man.

"I can repeat it," Alex mumbled, knowing the reaction it would elicit.

The pupils of Watson's eyes darkened in anger, "Don't overstep your boundaries, Dr. Marick." His voice was icily calm and for the brief moment that she observed him, Alex thought that Watson was actually enjoying this little exchange.

In fact, it was the tiniest of smiles on the corner of his lips that served only to incite her further, but, surprising herself, she bit her tongue.

Watson leaned in towards her, his breath on her face, "I'm watching you Dr. Marick. The next time you decide to throw common sense out the window, you're fired. It's that simple. And don't think you'll be working in another London hospital anytime soon, after being fired from mine."

He turned around, too quickly for a chance to reply, and walked away.

"Damn you…" Alex broke the cheap hospital pen she was holding into two. One of the pieces accidentally flew across the hallway.

It was Dr. Sanjay Singh who picked it up, with one of his customary smiles, "Bad day?"

"I hate that man."

"Does it help to know you're not alone?" He sat down next to her, opening the manila folder Watson had left there.

"I feel like I'm his target of the week and I can't take much more of it. You should have heard that poor patient last night."

Sanjay read contents of the folder, "So you decided to give him a relatively new and very powerful drug that, according to Watson, had the potential to cause respiratory failure."

Alex looked at him in disbelief, "There is nothing else we can do for that man, Sanjay. Nothing! We are talking about a life expectancy of a few days at best. The very least we can do is ensure his pain is kept to a minimum…"

Sanjay raised his hands in mock defense, "I didn't say I disagree with what you did. I probably would've done the same thing. But you and I would always put the patient's welfare first, whereas Watson has the hospital to consider. What if this man _had_ died of respiratory failure as a result of the drug? There could have been lawsuits."

"Of course," she said sarcastically. "That's what I would do, sue the doctor that lessened the pain and suffering of someone I loved. Makes perfect sense to me."

He placed a hand on her arm, "Come on, Alexandra. Don't let him get to you."

"It's as though he's waiting for me to mess up."

Sanjay smiled, "In that case he can wait forever. He's noticed you, that's what it is. I'm surprised it took him this long. He's wondering about you and because your doctored resume didn't give him any answers, he's decided to check you out in person. You're a gifted physician, Alexandra. I've worked alongside you for overthree months now and I haven't seen you make a single misdiagnosis. I'm amazed at the things you can pick from a set of test results, things that the best of us only catch on a good day. Look, I _know_ I'm good at what I do. I'm a perfectionist who loves his job, but I'm also willing to admit when I see someone whose talents are leaps and bounds above mine."

She gave him a disbelieving glance, "Oh stop it…"

"I mean it. There's a difference between being gifted in your field and working hard. Not to suggest that you don't, work hard, that is."

"I'm not some Mozart of medicine, Sanjay."

He laughed, "Sure you are. It's a good analogy even. And me, I'm soaking up everything I can. You didn't think it was coincidence that I've started correlating my schedule with yours, did you? I have a feeling that you're not going to be here for a long time, so I decided to be selfish and pick your brain while I had the chance."

This time she returned his easy smile, "Here I thought it was because you enjoy my company."

He smirked, "I _do_ enjoy your company. Why else would I keep inviting you to join my family and I for dinner? My wife would love to meet you…"

Her smile faded, "I'm sorry…please don't take this personally. I don't feel up to being very social yet."

"You said thatmonths ago. A person can't just work and sleep, Alexandra."

"_I_ can. For now."

Sanjay looked at the only ring she wore, "It has occurred to me, Alexandra, that for someone who wears the most exquisite wedding band I've ever seen, you never mention your husband."

The remark made Alex finger her ring. It _was_ exquisite; a seemingly impossible combination of white and yellow gold and platinum, interspersed with diagonal rows of tiny diamonds. 'It's because I never had the chance to give you an engagement ring,' Dimitri had reasoned when she had protested its extravagance. So her wedding band became a combination of both. "I love my husband very much, Sanjay but the last few months have been...difficult."

"You lost a child, there's nothing worse that can happen to a couple. Nothing. But if you love each other, you'll find a way to help each other heal. I know you will," he said gently.

"I hope so…"

Alex watched him pull out an envelope from his pocket.

"I know you're not in the mood for small talk and mingling, but there is a favour I need to ask you in the near future."

"What is it?" she asked.

"Every year St. Barts hosts a hospital fundraising ball. It's a major event in London, a glamorous evening that ranks among the mainsocial events in the city."

Alex laughed, "You sound like an advert. What makes it so special?"

Sanjay grinned, "Our very own staff. Other hospitals offer lotteries but St. Bart's auctions off its staff."

"So we'll find out what the going rate for Watson is…"

"I'm serious, Alexandra. Twenty-five hospital staff members are chosen to be auctioned off for a dinner and dance to whomever raises the highest bid. Bids per person are usually between ten and twenty thousand Pound, and that's not taking into consideration the exorbitant price of admission. The people that are chosen by Watson to be auctioned off that evening are usually a mix of department heads and highly attractive individuals. It's a coveted thing, to be selected by Watson, as one of the auctionees."

"Well, that's one thing, I won't have to worry about. Watson hates me."

Sanjay handed her the envelope that contained a piece of paper with a list of names. "You're right, you don't have to worry about it. Your name's already on the list. Handpicked by Watson himself."

_Paris, France_

Robin held on to Max's hand as they walked down the street. He wore a gray, knee-length cotton coat and the standard black leather shoes the orphanagesupplied their children. 'He looks so European,' Robin thought with a smile, 'We'll have to go out and buy you some jeans and running shoes.' Occasionally Robin noticed the glances of other pedestrians as she walked down the street. 'They think he's my son,' she thought, looking at Max.

'He _is_ my son now,' she remindedherself.

_My son_.

She still couldn't quite wrap herself around the concept. She was a mother now. An adoptive mother, who would be visited by a social worker, once a week, for the next six months, but a mother nonetheless. She had known this boy for only a few months and yet she already knew that if a speeding car were to head towards them right now, she would throw herself in front of it to protect him.

'I love this boy,' she suddenly realized, as he squeezed her hand. 'And I haven't even told him yet.'

"This is it," she told him, exhilarated at the thought of finally taking him home. She pointed to the brownish-gray low-rise apartment that was coming up straight ahead of them. Her apartment was in a row of identical low risebuildings that lined a tree-rimmed street. Although it was located in the heart of Paris, it was a quiet side street, a five-minute walk from the nearest Metro station, and a ten-minute walk from the nearest park and playground.

Her building was less than a hundred years old. In the US it might be considered old, but in Paris, it was relatively modern as far as apartments went. She pulled out her keys and opened the front door leading into the tiny lobby. She took off Max's heavy backpack so he wouldn't have to carry it up the stairs. "We're on the third floor," she explained. They could have taken the closet sized elevator, with its manually operated double doors, but it was ancient and often out of service.

'Just imagine if we get stuck in the elevator on your very first day home. After months of fighting to get you here, that would be the ultimate irony, wouldn't it?' Robin thought.

They made their way up the narrow, winding staircase and when both of them stood in front of her door, Robin opened it with shaking hands. 'What if he hates it?' she thought. 'What if after a week of living with me, he's so miserable he asks me to take him back to the orphanage? What if I'm a terrible mom?'

"Okay. Here we are," she took a deep breath. "Welcome home, Max."

Max stepped inside and eyed his new surroundings with wide-eyed curiosity. The first thing he saw was a small, living room, and an even smaller kitchenette, adjacent to it.

Robin led him down a narrow corridor, "I want to show you your room."

She had put the finishing touches on it only late last night. Now that she knew him well enough to know his likes and dislikes, she had wanted to fill it with toys and games and books, but then she stopped herself. 'Shopping is something we're going to do together from now on and we have all the time in the world to hit every toy store in Paris.'

So she had bought only a handful of stuffed animals and about a dozen books. His bed was covered with a soccer-themed blanket and his bedside lamp was in the shape of a racing car, his two favourite sports. A huge banner hung across the room, where Robin had written in watercolour the words, 'Welcome Home, Max.'

"Well, do you like it?" she asked him.

He sat down on the bed, staring at the posters of soccer players and race cars on the wall.

Then he grinned.

"I love it! Michael Schumacher and his Ferrari. He's the best!"

Max looked at the two flowerpots on the windowsill and ran his fingers along them. He remembered having his own room when he lived in Wales with his mother and Heidi,and again when he lived in America with both his parents. That time it had been a big, beautiful room with a view of the stables, but now, after several months of sleeping in a noisy dormitory, on the lower part of a bunk bed, he couldn't quite believe his good fortune at having so much space to himself again.

"Is this really my room?" he asked her, needing to make absolutely sure.

This time Robin laughed, her nervousness melting as she watched his reactions."Of course it is. It's _your_ room, in _your_ home, and nobody's ever going to take you away from here." 'Nobody's ever going to abandon you again,' she thought, 'Not as long as I'm alive.'

She took off his coat and grabbed his hand, "Come. I want to show you the rest."

She led him down the same corridor again and towards a tiny balcony with a cast iron railing. "Now this, this is a Parisian luxury, Max…having both a living room _and_ a balcony." She suddenly noticed that Max hadn't followed her outside. Instead he was mesmerized by something in the living room.

"Hey, what are you looking at, Max?" she asked, heading back inside.

It was a framed photograph of her parents that held his attention.

"Those are my parents," she explained. "I've never showed you a picture of them have I? I really wish they were still alive. That they could be here today to meet you. They would adore you, Max. But so will Uncle Mac. He actually called me last night telling me he was finally going to make the trek to France…not to see me, or Paris or anything, but see you. He's just dying to meet…"

"That's my Mum," Max said softly, interrupting her, touching the photograph with his fingers. How was it possible that Robin had a photo of his mother? She looked younger, and her hair was longer and darker, and she was with a man that Max didn't recognize, but the woman in the photo was unmistakably _his_ mother. Max was certain of it.

"What did you say?" Robin asked.

"That's my Mum."

Robin laughed and tousled his hair, "No, silly Max. That's _my_ Mom."

Max shook his head, wanting her to believe him this time, "No, Robin, I swear that's my Mum."

Robin looked at him, at his dead serious expression, unsure of what to say. She'd become accustomed to his fantasies. He told her the strangest things sometimes; things that seemed to slip from his tongue inadvertently. Last week he had insisted his mother was not just a doctor, but a neurologist. At first she'd been impressed that he even knew the word, thinking he must have heard it on TV. She had humoured his insistence then, along with all his other outlandish tales. Tales of a fabulously wealthy father and of living in a castle with other children and going for walks on grounds that were large enough to include stables and ponds. 'He's a little kid, who's been abandoned and maybe even abused. Who can blame him for wanting to escape into a fantasy world?' she had reasoned.

She gently pulled him away from the photo and onto her lap, "Max, my Mom died over ten years ago, before you were even born."

Yet how many times had Robin herself wondered about his uncanny resemblance to her? 'That's probably it,' she thought. 'His Mom probably looked similar. And he doesn't even have a single photo to remember her by. How damn unfair is that?'

"Did your Mom look like mine?" she asked him softly, kissing the top of his hand.

Max nodded, feeling the tears well up in his eyes again, for the first time in weeks. He knew he was lucky to have found Robin but all the same, seeing the photo made him realize how much he missed his mother.

"It's okay to cry, Max," Robin told him as she watched him fight back tears. She wondered if she was saying the right things; if she was any comfort to him at all. She picked up the photograph, "If my Mom reminds you so much your Mom, why don't you take the picture into your room and you can look at it as much as you like."

"Okay," was all he said, as she cradled him against her on her lap.

She ran her fingers through his thick hair and kissed his cheek again, wondering how it was possible that with every moment they shared, she loved him a little more.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter XXXVI

_Padre o Padre  
Re degli elfii  
Mi sta toccando  
Male mi fa _

_Father o Father  
King of the elves  
He is touching me  
He is hurting me _

_London, England _

_Four months later_

A soft, late spring wind blew through the open window of Alex's flat and brought with it the sound of birds chirping outside.

"How can something so small make so much noise?" Alex mumbled, annoyed and half awake now, deciding that to get up and close the window required entirely too much effort. She put a pillow over her head, only to hear the ringing of the phone on her bedside table as soon as she did.

She threw off the pillow in defeat and moved to answer it.

"Hello…?"

"Alex, I think it's happening. My water just broke!"

"Heidi?" Alex rubbed her eyes and saw the time on her alarm clock. It was just after 6am.

"I'm so scared…this is _it_, Alex…isn't it?"

"Oh my...Heidi, it's...it's going to be okay. Call for a taxi and go to the hospital. I can be there in three hours, and we'll do this together, okay? You're going to be just fine, both you and the baby."

"I'm scared, Alex..."

"Heidi, take a deep breath, hang up the phone, and call for a taxi. Can you do that? Or do you want me to call one for you?"

"Okay…" Alex heard the panic in her friend's voice subside. "No…it's fine. I'll call for a taxi. Just... hurry!"

Alex hung up the phone and sat up in her bed, a smile on her lips as she thought of Heidi's baby. The thought of finally holding her best friend's baby in her arms thrilled her. She put a subconscious hand on her stomach, knowing that her own child would have been due in less than three weeks. "You could've come to America, Heidi, and we could've raised our children together…" She closed her eyes and imagined the child that would never be. 'I'm sorry, baby. So sorry that you never even had a chance.'

When she opened them again, she noticed she was still wearing the clothes she wore the night before.

It hadn't been the first time she'd collapsed into bed as soon as she got home, too tired to change. Nor was it the first time that she couldn't remember how she had gotten home the night before. 'What a way to live…' she thought with a frown. Alex knew she wouldn't be able to keep it up much longer. The last time she had worked as much and slept as little was when she was an intern. But she was younger then and didn't have anemia yet. Her body reminded her of those two strikes against her now, by means of frequent headaches and a persistent light-headedness. Last week, at the end of a particularly long shift she had almost fainted in the hospital stairwell.

Lucky for her, it had been Sanjay who was there to catch her, not someone else. 'Anyone but Watson,' she thought, remembering the evening with a frown.

'I owe you one for stopping me from breaking my neck,' she'd told him afterwards, when she was sitting down, but Sanjay hadn't been amused. In fact, he'd been concerned enough to put her in a taxi and force her to take the next day off.

"I want you to take a couple of weeks off," he had told her when she got back to the hospital.

"I will," she had reassured him, "But I want to wait until my friend has her baby. Then I know I'll need a couple of weeks."

That time was now, a week earlier than she had anticipated. Alex glanced at her Omega watch. 'Twenty minutes,' she thought, 'I can shower and change in twenty minutes and be there in less than three hours.'

She smiled as she undressed, "Hold on, Heidi…I'm coming."

_Bison River First Nation, Northwest Territories, Canada_

Dimitri Marick walked down the gravel road that made up the main street of Bison River, pausing every now and then to look at the blue skies above him. After an Arctic winter of almost endless darkness, he had a new appreciation for sunlight.

Although he had several private jets that could have taken him to any gorgeous beach in the world at a moment's notice, Dimitri had chosen to spend the entire winter at his mining compound at Ekati, over 200 miles north of where he now stood. 'I spent four months in darkness,' he thought, 'in every sense of the word.'

At times he was convinced he was losing his mind. The lack of sunlight made it impossible to have a sense of time and, as a result, his sleeping patterns became even more irregular than they had been before. He convinced himself that it was the endless darkness that made it impossible to sleep, not the fact that even at Wildwind he'd been unable to sleep unless Alex was lying next to him.

He missed her and Max so much that it hurt. A constant, heavy ache that never left his body, not during the day and certainly not at night.

Sometimes he went out into the Arctic darkness, alone on his snowmobile, to talk to Max. He'd imagine showing him the Northern Lights, while they talked about his future together. They'd talk about riding horses and school and soccer and racing cars. There was so much he wanted to share with his son. _So much_.

'And all I had with him was seven months…'

The morbid thought suddenly brought him back to the present.

Dimitri had just met with the Chief of Bison River and the members of his band council, a meeting where he had proposed to modernize the medical clinic and open up an adjacent community centre. The meeting had gone well and considering the funding was provided entirely by Marick Diamonds, Dimitri hadn't been surprised that the motion was passed unanimously. It was a simple humanitarian project that didn't conflict with anyone's views or infringe on anyone's beliefs.

Afterwards, the Chief had insisted on driving Dimitri back to the airstrip, where his jet was waiting, but Dimitri had been equally insistent that he preferred to walk.

"I'll walk with you then," the Chief offered.

Dimitri gave him a restrained smile, "I don't mean to offend your hospitality, but I would prefer to walk. Alone." Even now, months after Max's disappearance, he still didn't care for social pleasantries.

"Whatever you prefer, Mr. Marick. Please consider yourself at home in Bison River."

"Thank you."

As he was making his way towards the airstrip, he saw the medical clinic ahead of him and, on impulse, decided to step inside. It was a small, unimposing building covered in peeling blue paint. This was where Alex would have worked when she came here several months ago. Where she would have found out about the kidnapping.

Dimitri opened the flimsy doors, shocked at who met him inside.

_"Hayward?"_

Doctor David Hayward was holding a clipboard in one hand and a bottle of medication in the other when he saw Dimitri. The only other person in the room was a Native woman in her mid-twenties who was obviously helping David with the inventory count.

David flashed Dimitri a grin, "Well, look who's here. The diamond king himself." He held out his hand, "Welcome to Bison River, Count Marick."

Dimitri didn't offer him his hand. "What are _you_ doing here?" he asked, in disbelief. He hadn't spoken to Hayward since Alex left.

"I come up here once every couple of months, to help out and to give my daughter a chance to catch up with old friends."

"Your _daughter_?" Dimitri's earlier look of surprise was replaced with one of shock.

Before David had a chance to reply, the door opened again and in came a young girl with thick dark braids and a baseball cap. She held up a container of baking soda and showed it to David. "Is this the one you wanted?"

"That's the one." He took it from her, "Josie, there's someone I want you to meet. You remember Alex? This is Dimitri, her husband."

Josie held out her hand, "You're the guy that owns all the diamonds around here, aren't you?"

Dimitri laughed, "Sure...I guess. And you are?"

"Josie…Josie Hayward," she flashed David a grin as she said it.

The other woman in the room gave David a nudge, "What about me…am I invisible?"

"Sorry...you always seem to bring out my bad manners, sweetheart." David smirked and pointed to Tina, "And this is Tina Sakhe, she runs the medical clinic."

Tina held out her hand, "It's such a pleasure to meet you. Please tell Alex I said 'hi.' Your wife is a wonderful doctor."

Dimitri shook her hand, suddenly feeling like an intruder."I will."

"Mr. Marick, can I offer you some tea? "

"I should go…" Dimitri told her, glancing at Josie. _David Hayward had a daughter? What else had happened while he had shut himself off from the world? _"It was nice to meet you both."

Josie shrugged her shoulders, "Sure."

David followed Dimitri as he made his way out the door. "You just got here…couldn't you have stayed a few minutes? It's rude to turn down her offer of tea. Worse even than me ignoring her completely."

"My plane's waiting at the airstrip." He wasn't in the mood for small talk with anyone, least of all Hayward.

"I'll walk you to your plane then," David told him.

"I guess walking alone is not an option here…" Dimitri mumbled.

"How's Alex?" David asked, struggling to keep up with his fast pace.

"How in the world did you end up with a little Native girl, David?"

David grinned, his teeth glistening in the sunlight, "I met Josie when I came up here last Fall, and I guess you could say, we just kind of... bonded. Now that you've seen my little sweetheart for yourself, you have to admit she is a lot like me…a little prettier maybe."

Dimitri looked at him with a smirk, "Heaven help Pine Valley then."

"Indeed. I asked you a question, by the way."

"Alex is fine."

"Really? How would you know? You haven't talked to her ages."

Dimitri stopped dead in his tracks, "You know this _how_, Hayward?"

"I know because I call her at least once a week. I know she works some insane hours at St. Bart's and that she hates the Chief of Staff. I know also she traded in her leased Mercedes for a sports car last week,"

"Great," Dimitri mumbled. "My wife is determined to die behind the wheels of a car."

"I know she spends all her free time with Heidi. And..." David paused, weighing his words. "I also know that she misses you like crazy, but she's afraid to tell you for fear that it'll force you to make a decision you're not ready to make yet."

The words stung. Dimitri would never have imagined that one day David would know more about his wife than he did. That she'd go so far as to confide her fears in David rather than him. Not that he could blame her.

"When the hell are you going to wake up, Dimitri?"

Dimitri picked up his pace again, not sure he was ready for this conversation. "You're out of line. This is none of your business."

"You're right, it's not," David countered. "A year ago I wouldn't have given a damn whether you and Alex split up. But things are different now. I know what it's like to be a Dad... and a friend now. So, unfortunately it's not possible to not give a damn anymore."

Dimitri said nothing.

"I always thought you were more of a man than that, Dimitri. But, in the end, that's all you're capable of isn't it? Running away."

"You can't begin to understand…"

"No I guess, I don't," Hayward cut him off. "I'd have to be a brooding member of European royalty to try and understand you."

"Get lost, Hayward."

"You know you're going to lose her, don't you? She needs someone so desperately and one day she's going to find someone who may not love her as much as you do, but at least it'll be someone who isn't afraid to see her cry."

Dimitri glared at David, "You have _no_ idea what it's like to lose a child…"

"It's unbearable, it's heartbreaking…I know that. Of course Alex is going to be devastated. But she's not going to fall apart because seeing you will bring back memories of Max. The one thing that _is_ going to break her heart will be losing you _as well_ as Max."

David caught the glimmer of doubt in Dimitri's eyes. "I'll tell you this one last time, Dimitri. If you don't reach out to her, she _will_ find someone else who will." Then he ventured a final push, "Come to think of it, that someone might even be me…"

"You bastard," was the only thing Dimitri said before launching a fist towards David.

Although fighting wasn't one of his skills, David managed to duck fast enough to avoid the blow.

"Truth hurts doesn't it?" he provoked Dimitri.

"Stay the hell away from my wife…" Dimitri threatened.

"Or what?"

David's confrontation had thrown Dimitri for a loop. He wasn't convinced that it was anything more than a calculated provocation. And there was a part of him that was grateful that David _was_ able to offer Alex something that he couldn't. Even something as simple as calling to see if she was alright. Yet another part of him hated David for it. Hated that it had to be David of all people.

"Don't even go there."

But David was relentless. "Did you know I was the one who told Alex to leave Pine Valley? I suggested she find something to focus on that would give her a sense of purpose, and you know what she told me then?"

Dimitri didn't want to hear it.

"She said she _couldn't_ because she couldn't possibly leave you at a time like this."

It was another slap. An accusation against all the things he'd done wrong since Max disappeared."I don't believe you…" he managed.

"You don't _want_ to believe me, that's your problem!" David raised his arms in frustration. "Frankly, I'm starting to think you don't deserve her after all."

"Maybe you're right.." He turned away from Hayward and quickened his pace towards the airstrip.

"Coward!" He heard Hayward shouting after him."Fine, go back to your damn mine! I guess diamonds really are your best friends."

"Hey, what are you doing?" Josie approached David, watching Dimitri walk away.

David put an arm around her shoulders, attempting a smile, "I've decided my career as a relationship counsellor is going to be very short lived."

Josie gave him a puzzled look, "Is he your friend?"

David saw Dimitri's fading figure in the distance, "Nope. In fact, I don't think he wants to be friends with anyone right now."

"That's sad."

David nodded, pulling an apple out of his jacket pocket and handing it to Josie. "Very sad," he agreed. "Here, eat something."

She took it from him, biting into its juicy green skin, "Yeah, yeah…blood sugar. I know."

"You got it, kid."

"And why do you care?" she said it with a grin. She knew the answer, and _he_ knew that she did, but she never tired of hearing it.

He turned around her baseball cap, so that it faced the right way, "Because I love you."

She gave him the same answer she always did, "Yeah…whatever."

Meanwhile, Dimitri was back at the airstrip and saw his pilot making the most of the sunshine. He had rolled up his sleeves to tan himself as he sat by the fuelling station.

"Are you ready to head back to Ekati, sir?" the pilot asked him, putting on his jacket back on, not bothering to roll down his sleeves.

Dimitri nodded, "Yes. I want to head back to Ekati, and first thing tomorrow morning, please get the plane ready to go overseas."

"Where to, Mr.Marick?"

"To London."

_Brynn Wydd, Wales_

On her way to Brynn Wydd, Alex had called Sanjay letting him know she wouldn't be in the next two days. "I'm sorry…but my friend's baby decided not to wait for my vacation."

"I don't care about the next two days," he had told her. "Just make sure you're here for the Gala Ball this weekend."

"You need me to come back for a fundraiser? Surely you could tell Watson some excuse, that I'm sick or something?"

And for the first time since she had met him, Alex had heard Sanjay lose his calm. "Alexandra, you're one of only two ER docs on his list! If you don't show up, he is _going to have my head_! Do you understand how big this event is? The only way he'll accept your absence is if you're drawing your last breath, and if you're not, heaven help me, I'll see to it that you _will_ be as soon as I get a hold of you!"

Alex had fought back a chuckle, amused to see her unshakably calm colleague panic at the thought of Watson's wrath. "I guess if you put it that way…"

"Alexandra, I swear, don't let me down on this one. You _do_ want me to have a job, don't you? You _do_ want me to be able to feed my five daughters, don't you? Didn't I save your life last week? Didn't I stop you from breaking your lovely neck?"

Alex laughed, "Wow, you must be desperate to cash that IOU so soon …you know, I really should milk this."

"_Alex!_" It was the first time he'd called her that. "This is not a joke. Tell me I can count on you?"

"Sanjay, you know I'll be there for you."

Less than four hours after that phone call, Alex arrived at the small, local hospital just outside of Brynn Wydd.

She ran in, breathlessly, "I'm here to see Heidi…Heidi Stewart. She's having a baby."

An elderly nurse in a crisp white uniform smiled at Alex, "That she is. And you are? Only family members are allowed in the room with her."

"I'm... her sister," she lied.

The nurse raised her eyebrows. Then she smiled. "Of course you are...I can see the resemblance."

Alex gave her a grateful smile in return. "Thank you." She followed her along the corridor to the room where Heidi was in labour.

Her friend was covered in perspiration. She cried out in pain as she was hit by contraction. "Alex…you made it," she managed, through clenched teeth.

Alex took her hand and squeezed it. "I wouldn't miss this for anything."

"I don't think I can do this…" she told her, "I've never been in so much pain."

Alex kissed forehead, "You're doing fabulously. Before you know it, it'll all be over."

Heidi's face contorted as she was hit by another contraction. They were mere minutes apart now and the doctor who was in the room with them urged Heidi to push.

Less than half an hour later, he announced that he could see the baby's head.

Alex wiped her friend's head with a cloth, "Keep pushing, Heidi…_really_ hard now."

"I don't think I can..." she groaned.

"Yes, you can."

"I can't!"

But she did and suddenly Alex heard a cry.

Time stood still as the doctor helped ease the baby out, before cleaning it and cutting its umbilical chord.

"It's a girl," he announced when he saw Heidi's anxious face. "A beautiful, healthy girl."

Minutes later, wrapped in a clean, white cotton blanket and matching hat, he handed the baby to its mother. "Congratulations, Mrs. Stewart."

Tears filled Heidi's eyes as she held her for the first time, "Oh, Alex, she's so beautiful."

Alex nodded in agreement, her own eyes mooist. "She's incredible." The baby had the same turquoise blue eyes as her mother and Alex saw tiny strands of light brown hair on her small head.

She squeezed her friend's shoulders, "You did an amazing job, Heidi."

Heidi couldn't take her eyes off the baby, in spite of her exhaustion. "I can't believe it…" she said softly, "I feel as though Philip is somehow here with me again."

Alex pulled a chair up next to Heidi's bed, "A part of him is going to live on in her."

Heidi felt as though her arms barely had enough energy left to hold the baby. "Will you hold her for me?" she asked Alex.

Almost eight years ago Heidi had been the first person to hold Max, and now Alex had a chance to return the favour. _To return the honour_, she thought. She took the baby into her arms, marvelling at the perfection of her tiny features.

She had to admit that part of her had been afraid of coming here today, afraid of the emotions that seeing Heidi's baby would unleash; memories of Max and of the baby she had lost. And yet, as she now held the baby in her arms, she felt neither regret nor sadness. Only warmth and hope.

'Life always goes on, doesn't it?' she thought, as the baby started to cry. 'But even more remarkable, is that love always goes on.'

Heidi was on the verge of falling into an exhausted sleep and Alex gently rocked the baby, who stopped crying in response. "It's okay. Everything's going to be okay, because soon you're going to know how much your mom loves you."

She saw Heidi close her eyes, and kissed the baby's tiny head, smiling as she did, "I forgot to ask your mom which name she decided on. I don't even know what to call you yet, my little sweetheart. "

Alex turned off the bedside lamp, and felt herself relax in the silence of the room, knowing she was holding a miracle in her arms.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter XXXVII

_Ma ad un tratto  
Il bimbo trema  
Dalla paura  
Freddo si fa _

_But suddenly  
The boy trembles  
With Fear  
It gets cold _

_London, England_

Only two days after Heidi gave birth, Alex drove back to London to honour the promise she made to Sanjay and attend the fundraising Gala. Had it not been for Sanjay and the respect she had for him, there would have been nothing that could have made her leave Heidi and her newborn daughter.

"After the ball, I have three days left on my schedule before I'm officially on vacation. Then I'll come back here and stay for two weeks to help you out with the baby," Alex had told Heidi.

"Don't worry so much about me. I have Philip's parents to help me out too. Phyllis and I are going to be just fine. Besides, if there's one thing I know about, it's looking after babies."

"I know, I know," she'd acknowledged. "But the first few weeks are so rough…you're going to be so sleep deprived."

"I'll just pretend I'm you for a while. Would you go already? Make sure you take some pictures for me, I want to see what you look like in an evening gown."

Alex remembered Heidi's words when she realized she didn't _have_ an evening gown in her closet. It wasn't exactly something she had thought to bring along when she made her decision to flee to London, almost eight months ago. So on her way back to London, Alex made a stop on Bond Street, in an effort to find a suitable dress to wear for the gala.

Now, as she examined her reflection in the mirror, she had to admit, in spite of her haste in choosing it, the dress _was_ beautiful. It was layered in smooth, black silk, with slivers of deep red strands, the colour of wine, intertwining themselves in the fabric. Exquisitely cut; the designer dress hugged her waist as though it was tailor made. Tiny sequins ran along the sides as though they were drops of diamonds, in a sea of black silk.

Alex bent down to fasten the thin straps on her heels, when she heard the doorbell ring. She knew Sanjay and his wife were going to pick her up, but according to her watch, they were more than an hour early.

She opened the door when she saw Sanjay outside. "You're early. I'm not ready yet," she told him, pointing at her watch.

He smiled, obviously pleased with what he saw. "I figured as much. My wife had an idea, actually. She wanted to help you get ready. You know, hair and make-up… that stuff."

"Sanjay…I've never even met your wife. She's a doctor, isn't she? Not a hairdresser!"

He laughed, "Yes, that she is, but she also does this for our daughters. You're one of only two members of my department who have been chosen tonight, Alexandra. I _want_ you to look stunning. To bring in the highest bid of the evening."

"Come on Sanjay, I'm not in the mood for this. I can't ask your wife to fix my hair...it's...it's crazy! If you insist, there's a salon a few minutes from here. If I bribe them I can probably get them to take me right away."

"This wasn't my idea, it was my wife's. My wife loves to do this. And, not to rush you or anything, but I am illegally parked."

Alex shook her head in disbelief, grabbing her purse and keys as she did. "You're unbelievable."

He smiled as he opened the door for her, "Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment."

_Le Meridien Waldorf Hotel, London _

_Two hours earlier_

In theory, a phone call to his wife shouldn't have required quite so much nerve. One thing thing they never lacked was the ability to talk to each other. About everything and anything. They were friends before they were lovers. But in reality so much had changed now. Each time Dimitri picked up his cell to call her he couldn't bring himself to finish dialling the number.

It wasn't just a phone call, he reminded himself. It was meant to be a new beginning. An apology for all the things he hadn't said and hadn't done in the last few months. A plea, that maybe they still stood a chance after all. A need to let her know that he couldn't imagine his life if they didn't.

In the end, he decided it wasn't the kind of conversation he wanted to have over the phone. He stopped by her flat twice, only to find that she wasn't there.

Now he was on his way to the hotel Concierge for directions to St.Bart's on the off chance that he might catch her there. He knew London well, but not nearly as well as he did New York or Budapest.

"I know it's not far from here," he told the Concierge, "My wife works there as a doctor."

The Concierge smiled, "Is she being auctioned off tonight then?"

Dimitri gave the man a puzzled look. "Pardon me?"

"It's the night of St. Bart's Fundraising Ball. It's a _huge_ annual event," he explained. "The hospital auctions off its staff for a dinner and dance. Last year a certain Duchess paid a record three million Pound for the Director of Cardiology."

"Is it... possible to get tickets for this event?"

The Concierge looked at him as though he had asked for the moon on a silver platter, "I'm sorry, Mr. Marick but it's probably one of the most exclusive events in London's social circuit. It's easier for me to procure you front row tickets to Wimbledon. The problem with the St. Bart's Ball is that it's by invitation only. It's considered a bit of an honour to be invited, as it's a reflection of the person's generosity. "

"But you have contacts, right? Brokers, scalpers that kind of thing?"

"If there were tickets _for sale, _then yes, but unfortunately that's not the case. But, if I may ask, you mentioned your wife is a doctor there? If so, she'll automatically be able to attend with a guest."

"I…I haven't seen my wife in a long time," he tried to explain. "Please, will you look into it for me? You have my credit card on file. "

"I'll see what I can do Mr. Marick."

_Singh Residence, London_

Alex stepped up to the door nervously when a woman in her mid-fifties opened it. She had a wide smile that was identical to Sanjay's.

Alex held out her hand, "Dr. Singh, it's a pleasure to meet you."

The woman laughed, "Surely you don't call my husband Dr. Singh? My name is Monica and the pleasure is all mine. I've been pestering my husband to bring you over for months now."

"But not to do my hair, I imagine."

Monica laughed, "If that's what it takes to pick your brain."

Alex smirked, "I feel so used."

There was a genuine warmth about Sanjay's wife that made Alex feel instantly at ease. She spotted a girl watching television in the living room, "That's my youngest daughter, Kavita," Monica told her. "She'll be staying home tonight with her sister, Dani. Our other girls are away at school. Sanjita, our eldest, is studying mechanical engineering at Oxford."

Sanjay kissed his wife, "I'll be getting ready upstairs. By the way, Alex already knows what all the girls are studying. I'm sure I mentioned it once or twice."

Monica took Alex's hand and led her into the living room. She wore a dazzling gold, red and green coloured sari, with matching jewellery. All of which perfectly accented her exotic beauty.

She gestured for Alex to sit down in front of an antique vanity with a large, oval mirror. "Sanjay has told me many times that you're an amazing physician but he's never mentioned how beautiful you are."

The comment made Alex blush. It seemed like such a long time since she _had_ made an effort to look good. "To tell you the truth, I haven't really cared lately what I look like…"

"Sanjay also told me about your son. I'm very sorry."

Alex nodded. "Thank you." She still didn't trust her emotions to say anything else on that topic.

Monica must have sensed it and changed the subject, "I'd like to do with your hair what I once did with my daughter, Praveena for her graduation. You have the same, thick beautiful hair that she does. But instead of weaving strands of rubies into it, I'm going to use garnet for you, to match the burgundy in your dress." She smiled at Alex, "You're lucky, I was born in January, so I have lots of garnet jewellery to choose from."

An hour later, Alex marveled at the expertly made up reflection that stared back at her in the mirror. For the first time in a long time, she did feel beautiful.

_If you saw me now, would you come back to me?_

It was an irrational thought and Alex chided herself as soon as she thought it. 'Dimitri left because of Max, not because he fell out of love with you…'

She gave Monica a pleased smile, "Sanjay was right you're very good at this."

"Five girls, Alex…I saved a lot of money on hairdressers."

Sanjay came down the stairs wearing a black tuxedo, holding an opened bow tie in his hand, "Sweetheart, I think I'll need your help…" He stopped in mid-sentence when he saw Alex, "Oh my...I knew bringing you here was the right decision. You look incredible, Alexandra." He grinned. "I think, we're going to get the highest bid tonight."

Alex glanced at Monica, "You'll have to thank your wife."

Monica grinned at Alex, as she fixed Sanjay's bow tie, "Making you look gorgeous was easy."

Sanjay looked at the clock in the hallway, "Ladies...as much as I'd like to spend the rest of the evening with just the two of you, we do have a Gala to attend."

_Le Meridien Waldorf Hotel, London_

The Concierge called out to Dimitri as soon as he made his way back into the lobby of the hotel.

"Mr. Marick, you're not going to believe our good fortune! One of our regulars had a ticket to the Gala tonight and had to leave London unexpectedly due to a family emergency. He gave me his ticket and asked me if I could find someone who would like to attend in his..."

"I'll take it!" Dimitri's eyes lit up, "What do I owe you?"

The Concierge handed him the envelope with a satisfied smile. It was sealed with red wax. "Oh, no, there's no charge. Mr. Norton already made the requested donation, he simply wanted me to find someone who would able to attend in his place. Naturally I thought of you..."

Dimitri took the envelope from the Concierge, marvelling at his good luck. He took it as sign that he was meant to go. Alex would be there. He had no doubts. He pulled out a fifty dollar bill from his wallet, "This is for you."

The Concierge raised his hand to decline, "That's not nec..."

Dimitri grinned, and pressed the bill into his hand. "Sure it is."

It was definitely a sign, he decided. Things _had _to get better from here on.

_Antwerp, Belgium_

Cesar Faison was having a bad day.

Earlier he had heard news of the death of one of his agents in Colombia. The man's assignment to infiltrate a drug cartel had ended with a point blank gunshot wound to the head, in an inner city alley.

Faison couldn't have cared less for the agent himself. What he did care about was the loss of a lucrative contract from the cartel that rivalled the one his agent was to have infiltrated. He would have to offer them a complimentary operative now to prevent them from going to another outfit. Outfits such as Nigel Hawthrop's 'Brynn Wydd,' whose agents were fast gaining the reputation of being the best in the underground market and whose services now expanded into corporate espionage.

As if this unfortunate turn of events wasn't enough to ruin his day, that same afternoon a young jewel fence had made the unfortunate error of trying to sell him fake diamonds.

Cesar had come close to killing the young man on the spot. Instead, he had thrown the diamonds into the man's face, "Do you have any idea who you're dealing with? Do I _look_ like an amateur?"

"These _are_ real," the thief had sworn, his face turning a frightened white. "I'll stake my life on it."

"Trust me, that's the last thing you want to do."

"They're...they're Marick diamonds!"

_"Get out!"_ The mere mention of the name had made Cesar's blood boil.

Later on, he had instructed one of his men to teach the young thief a lesson. "Injure him. Badly. Don't kill him, but make sure he knows who blows are coming from."

Now he sat in his flat in Antwerp watching the rain fall outside, nursing a martini.

"A year ago no one would have _dared_ to sell me a handful of fakes," he lamented to Jan, who was reading a newspaper next to him. Both of them were passing time before their next meeting.

Jan barely glanced up, "There's always the possibility that he didn't know."

"They were terrible fakes, Jan. I didn't even have to examine them. The only reason he dared to do what he did was because of what happened seven months ago. Because we lost that damn boy! Word on the street is that I've become incompetent." He put down his martini glass, spitting out the last word with contempt.

"I think you're reading too much into this. No one even remembers what happened in Calais."

"_I do_. I remember, and I think I've waited long enough."

Jan finally put down his newspaper and met his eyes, "Waited long enough for what?"

"The only reason I agreed to take that boy was because he was the key to connect me to his mother. We both know that Max is most likely dead but Alexandra is still very much alive."

Jan sighed, as if sensing what was coming.

"I know you think you're somehow connected to that woman. But if we make an attempt to kidnap her, it's only going to cause us problems. She's the wife of one of the richest men in the world. Can't we let this one go?"

"Have you ever loved anyone?" Faison asked him with a frown. "Anna Devane was the only woman I've ever loved,Jan. The only person in this world for whom I would have laid down my life."

"I understand that," Jan tried to reason, with a certain diplomacy. "Bu this woman is not Anna."

"She's her _identical_ twin!" Faison countered. "I need to see how much like Anna she really is. I want to hold her in my arms...to see, to feel..." He stopped mid-sentence. He couldn't possibly explain the extent of his need to his assistant. "If I can convince her that we've got Max, she'll come to me willingly."

"If you go up to this woman and tell her you've got Max, she'll run off to the police, that's what she'll do."

"Not if I convince her that's not in Max's best interests..."

Jan shook his head resignedly. "Sir, you know I have nothing but the utmost respect for you, but I'm afraid that your ability to think clearly always suffers when you're under the influence of Anna Devane...or in this case, Alexandra Marick."

"Contrary to the word on the street, I'm not a fool," he replied, as he picked up a black address book. He found the phone number he was looking for and dialled it.

"Good afternoon. My name is Dr. Gerard Caisson. I'm a former colleague of Dr. Marick's. Is it possible to speak with her?"

"I'm sorry. Dr. Marick is not currently residing at Wildwind. May I take a message for her?"

Faison paused a moment, "No...no...that's not necessary. If you could just give me her contact number, I would appreciate it."

There was a hesitant silence on the other end. "Sir, I'm not able to do that. But you may reach her at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London, should you wish to contact her."

"St. Bartholomew's...yes, of course. I'll call the hospital. Thank you very much."

Faison hung up the phone. He smiled his first smile of the day. "She's in London, Jan." His smile broadened. "This is going to be easier than I thought."


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter XXXVIII

_Con un cavallo  
Vanno avanti  
In questa grande  
Oscurita _

_With a horse they progress  
Through this immense  
Darkness _

_Paris, France_

"Good-bye, Madame Jeunet. We'll see you next Friday." Robin watched the social worker walk down the spiral staircase, heaving a sigh of relief as she left. It had been over four months since Max had officially been in her guardianship and yet these visits still made her nervous.

'What if they think he's not happy here? They still have the power to take him away from me." It would be a full year until he was truly hers, until she had the right to change his name to Scorpio and until she would no longer have to endure these weekly visits.

She went into Max's room and sat down on the bed next to him. A picture of her parents stood on his bedside table. Robin wondered if the social worker wouldn't find that odd.

"Did the lady say anything about the fact that the only picture you have in your room is a picture of _my_ parents?" Robin wasn't supposed to discuss these visits with him, but she didn't care. She _had_ to know how it went.

"She asked me why I had that picture in my room," Max admitted.

"And what did you say?"

"I told her you made me put it there."

Robin looked at him in horror, "Max? You didn't..."

Then she saw his dark eyes light up with mischief.

"Oh you devil, don't you joke about this. This is serious stuff! Do you want to end up back in that orphanage? "

He laughed as she pushed him down on the bed. "No…I hated it there. But that woman, she asks me silly questions, Robin. She thinks I'll say something bad about you. I guess she doesn't know that I love you…"

She looked at him in astonishment, her anger and anxiousness gone. "What did you say?" It was the first time he'd said the words and, now that she heard them, Robin thought her heart would stop. She had gotten used to telling him she loved him, because it was the truth and she wanted him to know it. They were the last three words she whispered to him every night before tucking him in. Yet he'd never said the same to her. Until just now.

He smiled back at her, "You know what I said." He turned around, easing his way out of her grasp, ending up on his stomach, looking at the photograph. His expression suddenly became serious again, "I told her I have the picture here because it's a picture of my Mum."

"Ah…Max, we talked about this." She wondered what the social worker would think about his fantasies. Maybe she wouldn't be as quick to rationalize and accept them as Robin did. Maybe she would think he needed psychiatric evaluation.

Max saw Robin's anxious expression. "It's okay, Robin. She didn't believe me either. But I want _you_ to believe me. I'm not wrong."

"Max…we're not going to talk about this anymore. It's pointless because what you're telling me is just not possible. My mom died before you were born. I explained this to you."

She looked at his disappointed face and gave him a poke in his side, to let him know she wasn't angry. "I'll tickle you..."

"I know why you don't want to believe me, but I know I'm not wrong." He gave her a lopsided smile. "I still love you though."

He never ceased to amaze her, both with his powers of perception and his cleverness. Only last week his teacher had told her she couldn't believe that a few months ago he didn't speak a word of French. He had soaked up the language like a sponge, and nowadays he often mixed the two languages together when he spoke to Robin at home.

Robin had a son who was smart, funny and gentle. How in the world did she get so damn lucky? Granted, she was a little biased. But it was the truth. Max was all of the above. And more.

"That reminds me, Max. I don't even know how old you are," Robin pointed out.

Since he hadn't given anyone a date, they'd simply assigned him a birthday at the orphanage. According to them, he would turn eight on December 3rd of this year, but Robin was certain that date would make him younger than he truly was. He had to be eight already, maybe even nine or ten, given his intellectual capacity.

Max gave her a puzzled look, "I don't know."

Max wrinkled his nose. It was true. He _didn't _know. He was sure there had been seven candles on his last birthday cake. He also remembered that the cake was chocolate. Delicious, smooth chocolate with chocolate icing on top. He also remembered that they had been at a restaurant where his mother only took him on special occasions. Heidi had been there with them, and so had his friends Liam and Roger.

But unlike his real name, which he _did_ remember and simply wouldn't ever tell anyone, not even Robin, he honestly couldn't remember the day on which his birthday fell. "I don't know," he repeated. "I know it was warm and sunny on my last birthday."

Robin looked at him, thinking as she did, "Hmm…it's warm and sunny today." She looked at the racecar calendar that hung on the wall and marked a large 'x' on today's date, grinning at Max. "How about it? You in the mood to celebrate?"

Max grinned back at her, "Sure."

"Ice cream and a movie?"

He nodded in agreement, "Yeah."

She hugged him and kissed his smiling face, "Happy Birthday, Max."

She took his hand and closed the window on his room, "Besides, it's better to have your birthday in the spring or summer. That way we won't look weird walking down the street having ice cream. From now on, I'll make sure you remember the date."

_Grosvenor House Hotel, London, England_

Together, Sanjay, Monica and Alex walked along the plush carpets of the hallway that housed the grand ballroom where the gala festivities were about to begin.

The five-star hotel boasted the largest ballroom in Europe, called simply The Great Room, and tonight no expense was spared in the decoration of its already lavish interior.

"Everything is donated," Sanjay explained to Alex. "From the rental of the ballroom, to the food, the decor and the flowers…it's all in the name of medical research."

Hundreds of guests, wearing gowns and jewellery that, if donated, would probably be able to support decades of future research all on their own.

Alex heard the clinking of champagne glasses and forced laughter as she glanced around the room, in awe at the sheer opulence that surrounded them. Everyone was dressed to the nines and looked like a million dollars.

Sanjay started to mingle as soon as they entered the room. His ready smile and laid-back nature made him a favourite target for all those who believed that the exorbitant price of admission entitled them to voice their opinion on any subject at hand, including that of how Sanjay should be doing his job.

Alex suddenly felt uncomfortable and painfully out of place. She had gone out of her way to avoid others in the last seven months and as a result she barely knew her co-workers much less those who were involved in the leadership of the hospital. In fact, as she looked around the room, she realized there wasn't a single face she recognized.

'Why would Watson pick me for this?' she thought to herself. 'No one even knows me. Who in the world is going to bid thousands of dollars for a dinner and dance with _me_?'

The realization suddenly hit her, like a lightning strike. 'Unless of course he chose me precisely for that reason.' What could be a worse embarrassment than standing on a stage waiting, in vain, to be bid on?

'Would he really do that? Would he waste a perfectly good opportunity for a serious bid, to teach me a lesson in humility?' Alex asked herself. 'Of course he would,' she answered her own question. 'It's Watson.'

Her cheeks blushed a crimson red, as she grabbed Sanjay's arm. "I don't think I can do this," she told him.

"Are you nervous? Don't worry, Monica and I will chaperone you if that bald old man with the facial tic over there places the winning bid."

"It's not that…I think I figured out why Watson put me on that list."

Sanjay grinned, "He put you on that list because you're one of the most beautiful women on staff."

"Sanjay, stop it. That's not it…I think he knows there isn't a soul in here who would bid for me. _That's_ why he chose me."

Sanjay shook his head in disbelief, "Alexandra, you're nervous and it's making you irrational. You did look in the mirror before we left, didn't you? You look incredible tonight. Nobody's going to care whether they know you, or not? Mind you, if you introduced yourself as Alexandra _Devane_, you could rectify that problem…"

"Sanjay…listen to me..." He wouldn't even consider what her instincts already knew was true.

He didn't let her finish, handing her a glass of red wine instead, "Drink this. It'll calm your nerves."

At the same time as Alex tried to reason with her colleague, Dimitri Marick entered another section of the ballroom.

He surveyed the scene, indifferent to the lavishness of his surroundings. 'How will I ever find her in this crowd?' he thought. 'What if she's not here?'

"Dimitri Marick? Is that really you?"

Dimitri turned around to see a face that looked only vaguely familiar. He had to strain his memory to remember the name that belonged to it. 'Not just the name…the title,' he thought with a wry smile.

"Baron Heinrich Von Rechtshausen…" Dimitri managed in the nick of time, recognizing the insignia the man displayed on his tuxedo jacket.

The heavyset man with the thinning, blonde hair immediately draped his arm around Dimitri, "How long has it been my friend? The Queens Plate was the last time I saw you, wasn't it?"

Dimitri managed a laugh, "Indeed. I remember it very well now, watching my horse trying to catch up to yours on the track."

"Has is really been that long? You don't look a day older, Dimitri."

"You're flattering me, Heinrich."

"There's someone I want you to meet. My wife, Katerina."

Dimitri noticed a blonde woman move towards them. It wasn't the same brunette the Baron had introduced as his wife the last time Dimitri had seen him. This woman was at least twenty years his junior. She would have been beautiful were it not for a pair of lips that were unnaturally large for her delicate face. Dimitri kissed her hand, noticing too that her eyes were glazed. "Your Highness, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Dimitri had a talent for making others, women in particular, feel as though they were the only person in the room when he spoke to them. As a result, the Baron's wife eyed him with instant interest.

"Heinrich, darling, you must ask the Count to join us at our table." Dimitri noticed her speech was slightly slurred when she spoke.

"No, really. I couldn't impose," Dimitri protested.

The German Baron put his arm around Dimitri's shoulder, "Katya's right. You must join us. You and your date of course."

"In that case, it will just be me."

The Baron's wife smiled in response, tilting her head flirtatiously, as the three of them moved towards a round table.

Near the main doors of the Great Room, a scowling man with shoulder length gray hair also made his way into the room. He wore a black coat and tails, over a crisp, white Valentino shirt, highlighted with a pair of diamond-studded cufflinks.

Cesar Faison found out about the ball only hours before, as he sat in First Class of the Sabena jet that had taken him from Antwerp to London. The man seated next to him, a Belgian bank owner, had mentioned he was flying to London just for one night in order to attend the Gala.

Normally Faison detested small talk with a passion, but at the mention of the name St. Bartholomew's, his eyes had lit up. He had asked the man the same question Dimitri had posed to the hotel concierge only hours earlier, "Is it possible to get tickets?"

The man had given Faison a thin-lipped smile, "I'm afraid not. It's by invitation only."

In return, Faison had given the man a frown that let him know their conversation was now over. And when he got up to use the airplane restroom, Faison had reached deep into the man's jacket pocket and removed a pair of tickets from them.

'I'll consider this my invitation,' he had thought, smirking, as the man returned to his seat.

Once in London, Faison had his own name imprinted on the ticket, and, now at last, he was in the same room as the woman he had waited so long to meet.

An eager young waiter offered him a glass of champagne. Faison took it and then sat down at the nearest table he saw, not bothering to check whether the seat was already occupied.

An elderly mustachioed man already seated at the table, held out his hand to Faison. "Sir Charles Livingston. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Faison reluctantly returned the handshake. The gesture meant he had to partake in idle conversation once again. Could there be an activity he loathed more? Maybe getting his teeth pulled without anasthesia. But it was a tough call. "Cesar Antoine, Compte de Faisoneuve," he replied, indifferently.

The man looked at Faison with interest, "Faisoneuve…how odd. I'm quite familiar with the houses of French nobility and I must confess I've never heard of yours."

Faison's frown deepened. Leave it to his luck to sit next to a nobility snob who would question his alias. "The Faisoneuve estate is near the Swiss border. High in the French Alps. It's a well established noble family. Very, _very_ old."

"I assume you're related to the Valcourts of Evian-les-Bains then?"

Faison shot the old man an impatient look, hoping it would cease the conversation, "No."

And with that look, Sir Livingston decided, once again, that his own countrymen were infinitely more civil than those ill-mannered continentals. He said nothing more as he turned his attention away from the unpleasant Frenchman and towards the old, heavily perfumed woman that sat at his other side.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the room, Alex had finished the glass of wine and felt no less apprehensive than she did before Sanjay had pressed into her hand.

"Sanjay, I have a bad feeling about this…" She didn't have the chance to finish her sentence, when the sound of a bell rang throughout the room.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Please take your seats as the moment you've been waiting for has arrived! Twenty-five of the most beautiful, brilliant and accomplished staff members of St. Bartholomew's are about to belong to one of you for one night only!"

'Evening', Alex thought nervously. 'One _evening_. Not one night.'

The announcement was followed by a loud round of applause and, slowly, everyone moved to their tables.

Sanjay gave Alex a push. "You should go to the back of the stage."

"I _really_ don't want to do this…"

"Alexandra, you have no reason to be nervous!" he reassured her. "It's all for a good cause and even if you end up with a leering old duke or worse, you'll at least be guaranteed an excellent meal." Twenty-five of London's top restaurants had donated a dinner for two this evening and a host of limousine companies had offered their vehicles to take the auctioned pairs to their destinations.

It was no use arguing with Sanjay, Alex decided. 'After everything I've been through, what does this really matter?' she asked herself. 'If I end up embarrassed on that stage, all I have to do is close my eyes and think of Max.'

She had already lost everything worth losing. Her dignity wasn't much by comparison.

"You're right, I'm being silly," she finally conceded, not caring any longer.

Sanjay kissed her cheek, "You are. Now go and get our department the highest bid of the night."

Dimitri watched the auction unfold with interest, ignoring the fact that the Baron's wife's leg accidentally brushed against his, more than once, beneath the table.

The twenty-five staff members were to be auctioned off alphabetically and there was a loud round of applause when one of the hospital's foremost researchers, a woman by the name of Sophie Atkinson walked onto the stage to begin the auction.

Not much later there was an even louder cheer when a strikingly good looking physiotherapist by the name of Raoul Fernandez garnered a bid of nearly two million British pound. The winning bidder, Trixie Tripson, was a thoroughly delighted red-haired socialite. After each successful bid, the winner went up to the stage and had the option of requesting a song from the orchestra, before proceeding to dance with their new acquisition.

Katerina Von Rechtshausen laughed at Ms. Tripson's choice of the Rolling Stones 'Satisfaction.'

"I bet she's very satisfied right now," she pointed out to Dimitri. The room erupted in laughter as her dance with the physiotherapist became more heated with each step they took.

"Are you going to place a bid tonight, Dimitri?" Katerina asked him. "It would a shame if you left here alone."

"Maybe." His heart suddenly skipped a beat when he saw Alex walk onto the stage. Katerina asked him another question, but he didn't hear it.

Several tables away, Cesar Faison too, took a deep, elated breath as he finally saw Alexandra Marick standing mere meters away from him. Faison had seen photos of her and knew she was as beautiful as Anna and yet, the way the garnet jewels in her hair glistened in the stagelights and the way the thin fabric of her dress wrapped itself around her slim frame, took his breath away.

"Our next member of staff up for bids is the lovely Alexandra Marick. A recent acquisition for St. Bartholomew's, Dr. Marick works as an intern in the Emergency Room of the hospital. Should your heart fail as you share a dance with her, she will most certainly revive it for you."

There was a round of laughter across the room, but Sanjay Singh raised his eyebrows incredulously, "An _intern_?" he asked Monica. "Who made up _that_ introduction?" The answer dawned on him even before he finished asking the question. 'Watson. Of course.'

Monica gave him a worried glance in return. She knew that if Alex were to correct the announcer it would make her look petty. So Monica correctly guessed that she wouldn't.

On the other end of the room, Katerina glanced at Dimitri, "She has the same name as you, Dimitri. Isn't that odd? Maybe she's Hungarian too." She emptied her glass of champagne in one smooth sip. "She'd be pretty if she were a little..._bigger_." She giggled, "If you know what I mean."

"Do we have an opening bid?" the announcer asked the room, and the silence that followed was longer than it had been for any previous staff member.

This time it was Sanjay who panicked. "Why is no one bidding on her?" he asked his wife, "What is _wrong_ with these people?"

"Do you think Alex was right?" she asked him, "Do you think Watson could have something to do with this?"

Her question was answered when she heard the Chief of Staff himself place the opening bid.

"Two hundred."

It was the lowest opening bid of the evening by far and Sanjay cringed when he heard it. "So that's the plan," he told Monica. "Watson somehow makes sure no one bids on her, so that when _he_ does, he'll come up looking like the kindly rescuer of a damsel in distress."

"We have to do something," Monica told him. "_You_ place a bid."

Sanjay stared at her in disbelief, "Bid against Watson? Are crazy? He'll have my head."

Monica gave her husband an annoyed look, "My dear, you picked this woman's brain for months now. You owe her at least that much."

"But what will it look like, if I'm here with you and bid on another woman?"

"Oh for God's sake, I could care less what this looks like. What Watson is doing is terrible." She raised her husband's bidding paddle for him, before he had any further chances to protest.

"One thousand!" Monica shouted.

On the stage, Alex saw what Sanjay and Monica were doing and their efforts made her smile. Yet, at the same time she wished she could tell Sanjay not to bother. 'This is not worth losing your job over, my friend. If Watson wants to play this game, let him,' she thought, oblivious to the whispers in the room. She closed her eyes and pictured Max, looking at her with his warm, dark eyes.

"_They're so silly, Mum. Don't be sad. They're not playing fair."_

Watson glared at Sanjay and raised his own bid, "Two thousand!"

Monica nudged her husband, "Looks like it's your turn again."

"Darling, I shouldn't do this…"

And for the second time it was Monica who raised his bidding paddle for him. "Three thousand!"

"Four," was Watson's reply.

"Five," was Monica's.

Dimitri watched the bidding with interest, wondering who was bidding for her and knowing it didn't matter who placed the last bid. Regardless of how high it was, he would go higher.

Watson gave Sanjay a look that let him know he had gone as far as Watson would tolerate. "Six!"

"I don't think I should go any further," Sanjay told his wife. Tiny beads of perspiration had formed on his dark forehead, and he wiped them off with a shaking hand. "We tried."

"Is that the final bid?" the announcer asked after a moment of silence, when suddenly, from the rear of the room, he heard a voice announce, "Seven!"

"The bidding continues…"

Faison had waited until the bids were high enough to allow him a final bid and countered Dimitri's bid with his own, "Eight!"

Dr. Watson wanted to look around in order to see who would be so audacious as to try to outbid him. Didn't they know who he was? He raised his own paddle again, "Nine!"

At the same time, Dimitri stood up.

"Do we have ten thousand?" the announcer asked.

"No…but I do need to make a correction on my last bid," Dimitri announced.

Alex strained to see who was placing the other bids, but both men were too far away.

"Sir, you wish to retract your bid of seven thousand?" the announcer asked.

Dimitri didn't want to play this game. All he wanted was to have Alex in his arms, without further ado. Patience had never been his strong suit. "No, I want to correct it. There was a misunderstanding, I didn't mean seven thousand. I meant seven _million_."

There was a collective gasp in the room as everyone turned around to look at the mystery bidder, stanging near the rear of the room.

Faison's hands balled into two angry fists. He had been outbid, far beyond what he could reasonably spend tonight. Sir Livingston watched his reaction with amusement, until Faison offered him his vilest look yet. He took one of the roses on the table and squashed it in his hand. Then he got up and started to leave.

'You might have won, today Dimitri,' he seethed. 'But there is always tomorrow.' It was his final thought as he stormed out the door.

The announcer's voice choked as he verified the bid, "Seven million pound is your bid, sir. Is that correct?"

Dimitri nodded wordlessly, calmly taking in the sea of eyes that focused on him, including Katerina's whose jaw had dropped in shock. The Baron laughed in delight, "Dimitri, my friend, you never fail to make an evening memorable, do you?" He stood up and applauded loudly, leading the rest of the room to do the same, as everyone, with the exception of Dr. Watson, stood up, and, one by one, offered him a thunderous standing ovation.

Alex's hands shook when she heard the reaction to the bid.

'Could it really be him…?' she wondered.

The applause continued as Dimitri made his way across the room. There was something regal in his stride. It would have made others on the room take notice of him, regardless of whether or not he had placed the highest bid of the night.

When Alex could finally make out who it was, she moved a hand to her mouth in shock.

Of all the applauding guests in the room, no one clapped louder than Sanjay.

Monica laughed, "This is so great! But who _is_ that man?"

Sanjay shrugged his shoulders, still clapping, "I have no idea."

The announcer shook Dimitri's hand as he made his way onto the stage, "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have not only a new record bid for the evening but a new record bid in the history of St. Bartholomew's Galas! Sir, if you would be so kind as to introduce yourself."

Dimitri turned to Alex with a smile.

"My name Dimitri. Dimitri Marick," he answered him. At the mention of the name, the already deafening roar of applause became louder still, as most of the women in the room drew the same conclusion.

"It's her husband," Sanjay suddenly realized.

Alex felt tears running down her cheeks, as Dimitri walked towards her.

"God, I missed you so much," he said softly, oblivious to everyone else in the room. "You have no idea how much."

"Yeah, I do... "

He wrapped his arms around her, wondering how he had ever been able to live without her. Everything about her felt like it was a part of him. Her scent, her touch, her smile, her tears. He used to wonder what others meant when they claimed to have found someone who completed them. But now he knew.

Alex was his other half. In every sense of the word. And, for the first time in a long time, he felt whole again.

"You're so beautiful."

Alex wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, not sure whether to believe what was happening. That Dimitri was really here. In her arms.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Count Andrassy." His touch ignited something in her, and for the first time in months she felt alive. Alive. Awake. Loved. "But Dimitri... seven million, for a dance? That's a bit much, isn't it?"

He smiled, relishing the moment as he pulled her closer. Close enough to feel the rapid beating of her heart against his.

"You think? You're a good dancer, aren't you?"


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter XXXIX

_Ma ad un tratto  
Il bimbo trema  
Dalla paura  
Freddo si fa _

_But suddenly  
The boy trembles  
With fear  
It gets cold _

_London, England_

Dimitri was disoriented when he woke up, unsure of where exactly he was until he saw Alex lying asleep next to him.

He smiled as he observed her. One of her arms rested on his chest and the other one underneath her pillow, as she slept facing him. Dimitri checked his watch in the dim light of the room, and saw the time was just after 8am. He sat up, and gently moved her arm, careful not to wake her.

It was the first time in seven months that he had slept through an entire night.

Once awake, he noticed the noise of chirping birds coming from outside and he got up to close the window. 'You certainly know how to make yourselves heard...,' he mumbled aloud to the birds.

He contemplated getting back into the inviting bed when he suddenly remembered the dismal lack of food he'd seen in Alex's refrigerator last night. Seeing as he was already up, he could go out, buy some food and make them both breakfast.

He imagined a table full of croissants, cheese, cold cuts, fresh fruit and a pot of steaming hot coffee. He hadn't had breakfast with Alex in so long. The thought of doing something so blissfully ordinary, brought another smile to his face.

Dimitri changed into the same shirt and pants he'd worn the night before. When he was dressed he bent down to kiss Alex on the cheek, making her stir in her sleep.

As soon as he walked out the door and down the corridor of her flat, his cell phone rang.

'Good timing,' he thought, knowing the noise would certainly have woken her up. She was a light sleeper and he was surprised that neither the chirping birds nor his movements had woken her up.

"Hello?"

It was O'Malley. "Good morning, sir."

"Shawn? Good morning...very early morning for you, isn't it? It's the middle of the night in Pine Valley."

"I wanted to call you first chance I got, regarding a piece of very odd information one of my men picked up. It's about a man named Cesar Faison."

"What about him?" Something about the name sounded vaguely familiar.

"One of my investigators has a contact in the Marseillaise Mafia, who in turn has a contact in the Calais underworld...to make a long story short, about seven months ago, the same time we were in Brynn Wydd, a man named Krieg put out the word in Calais that he was looking for a little boy. A little boy that just so happens to match Max's description."

Dimitri frowned as he listened, "Strange."

"It's very strange," O'Malley agreed. "So naturally, I ran a background check on this man and I discover that Krieg is an alias for Cesar Faison. So I dig a little deeper, and things get more complicated. I discover that, trying to find information on Cesar Faison is like looking for a needle in a haystack. There are virtually no photographs of him anywhere. The best we turned up was a hidden camera shot, where one of my men thinks he's wearing a facial disguise. I then find out that Cesar Faison is the head of a group known as the DVX. His agents are basically spies for hire. They're used as moles to infiltrate everything from crime families to legitimate businesses. It's not unlike the organization that Charlotte Devane once ran, except that Faison's guys don't have the kind of government approval that Brynn Wydd does. In fact, it's mostly criminals with a lot of cash that hire Faison's agents."

"So this Cesar Faison was looking for a boy that fit Max's description at the same time that Max disappeared? _Why?"_

"I don't know, Mr. Marick. That's what I'm trying to figure out. In the meantime, I've found out that Faison also runs a nice little enterprise on the side that involves stolen diamonds, so I thought I'd check to see if you've heard of his name, maybe as an industry hazard or something like that?"

Dimitri furrowed his brows in concentration, trying to remember where he_ had_ heard the name before. "Faison...Cesar Faison." He repeated the name trying to trigger a memory, when suddenly it did. "You know, Shawn, now that you mention it, I _have_ heard of him but not when it comes to diamonds." The realization of where he had heard the name sent a chill down his spine. "Not long after we were married, almost nine years ago, Alex and I did an extensive search into the life of Anna Scorpio, her twin sister because Alex wanted to try and connect with her niece, Robin. But then Charlotte kidnapped Alex and, as you know...one thing led to another...but _that's _exactly where I remember hearing the name Faison. He was the man who was obsessed with Anna. He killed her by rigging a boat with explosives. But the thing is, Shawn, according to what we discovered, Faison was _on_ that boat all those years ago! He died along with Anna and her husband Robert Scorpio! There's no way he could be looking for a boy in Calais all these years later...unless."

"Unless he didn't die," O'Malley finished for him. "I'll be damned. The supposedly dead man who killed your wife's sister, of all people, is looking for a little boy just like Max. The plot thickens."

Dimitri felt his heart skip a beat, "What do you think this means?"

"I don't know. I don't want you to get your hopes up too soon, Mr. Marick. This could all mean nothing. There's a lot of little boys that could fit Max's description. But Calais _is_ the closest French town to the United Kingdom. It's the first Continental stop on the Chunnel train. Plus, the fact that this man is connected to your wife's sister really has me intrigued now. Maybe there _is_ some sort of connection to him and Max."

"But..." Dimitri's voice shook. This was the first lead they had in _months_. "What if we were to take a huge leap and pretend he was looking for Max, then _why_? Why would Faison be _looking_ for him?"

"I don't know...if we take another leap and assume there was a connection with Faison and Charlotte, I could see her handing your son over to him but to hear that he's looking for him makes no sense."

There was a pause of silence at both ends as neither man seemed to know what to say.

"Please keep me updated on this one, Shawn," Dimitri told him. "Whatever you find out, no matter how trivial, let me know."

"Of course, sir."

"Get some sleep first."

Dimitri heard a chuckle on the other end, "As if I could, after this bombshell."

Dimitri noticed his hands were shaking as he finished the call. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. O'Malley's words ran thought his mind.

_'A little boy that just so happens to match Max's description.'_

_'The supposedly dead man who killed your wife's sister is looking for a little boy just like Max.'_

'Could he really be out there somewhere?' the thought made him shiver with hope and fear at the same time.

_'I don't want you to get your hopes up too soon, Mr.Marick.'_

How in the world could he not get his hopes up? It was their first real lead, no matter how obscure it was, it _was _a lead.

Dimitri ran his hand along his forehead, as he sat down on a step in the apartment's staircase. He remembered Alex sleeping next to him. Part of him wanted to barge back into her apartment and tell her everything Shawn had just told him.

But then he also realized he hadn't seen her as peaceful and content as she'd been this morning, since Max's disappearance.

"If I tell her about this and it turns out to be nothing, it'll break her heart all over again."

He decided to wait another day, to see if O'Malley would find out something else, before telling her.

But in the meantime, he wouldn't just sit back and wait for Shawn's next phonecall.

"Faison...Cesar Faison. I don't know much about you, but..." An idea occurred to him, "There is someone who might."

_Later_

_Alex's flat_

The first thing Alex noticed when she woke up was the lack of noise. She'd grown so accustomed to waking up to the sound of birds chirping, that the silence that surrounded her now puzzled her.

But then her mind drifted back to the last night. To Dimitri.

'Dimitri,' she thought, sleepily. 'He must have closed the window...'

Her lips curled into a smile when she thought about how he had surprised her last night, by turning up at the Gala. How her heart pounded when he walked onto that stage and she realized she'd never loved another man as much as she loved him. She also remembered the sumptuous five-course dinner that followed, at a lavish restaurant whose French name she couldn't pronounce. Better still was coming back here with him. Making love with a hunger she didn't think she could still feel.

Part of her felt guilty for the sheer bliss that was last night. How was it possible to feel happiness when Max was gone?

Alex shivered at the thought and opened her eyes to reach for Dimitri, only to find the bed empty.

"Dimitri?"

The silence was uncomfortable now. "Dimitri?" she repeated. She sat up, her eyes searching for him.

She hated the panic that crept up in her throat.

There had to be an explanation, she thought. She knew that last night meant as much to him as it did to her. She knew him well enough to know that. She also knew that no matter what sort of regret he might be feeling today, he wouldn't just take off without a word again. He loved her too much for that.

_Didn't he?_

Alex got up and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw his tuxedo jacket hanging on one of her chairs. His tie and cummerbund hung there as well, but she sudenly noticed that his pants, shirt and shoes were gone.

Alex felt her heart sink, hating how desperately she needed him right now.

Her bathroom door was closed and, even though she heard no sound coming from inside, she knocked before she opened it.

"Dimitri?"

Like the rest of her flat, the bathroom was empty.

"Dimitri?" she called out a final time, hearing her voice choke as she did. Hot tears had welled up in her eyes.

"Damn you..." Alex wasn't sure whether she was angrier at him for leaving, or herself for thinking he wouldn't.

She sat down on top of the toilet seat and buried her hands in her face, not bothering to stop the tears. "How is it that you can leave me so easily?"

She didn't have a chance to answer herself. Instead she heard her apartment door opening.

Then she saw Dimitri standing in the doorway, holding a bag of groceries.

The sight of him unleashed another flood of emotions. A conflicting mix of relief and embarassment as she realized why he had left the apartment.

"Alex?"

He dropped the gorcery bags to the floor when he saw her, rushing into the bathroom.

Dimitri knelt down next to her, wiping away her tears with his hand, "Hey...what's wrong?"

Her cheeks blushed red. "It's nothing."

"Did you have a nightmare?"

Dimitri was the only one who knew of the nightmares she had after escaping Charlotte's clutches. Horrible dreams of the men she'd killed, coming back to haunt her at night, seeking revenge.

"No...it's not that. It's nothing."

He gently ran his hand along her arm. "Remember the vows we made before we got married? What hurts you, hurts me? Whatever it is, I want us to deal with it together from now on."

"It...silly," she managed a lopsided smile. "It's just that when I woke up and saw you were gone..."

Understanding dawned on him. "You thought I left...again." He kissed her. "Oh god, Alex, I'm so sorry. How could I not have realized ?I should have left a note. I'm so sorry...I didn't think."

Alex put her index finger on his lips, "It's alright. I overreacted, I don't know why, it's just..." She wanted to tell him that she couldn't bear the thought of him leaving again. But she stopped herself. It was a vulnerability she wasn't sure he could handle yet. He didn't have to know just how much she needed him if he wasn't ready to come back for good. It's not as though they'd broached _that_ topic last night.

"Just what?"

"I'm okay, really." She glanced at the grocery bags on the floor. "I'll forgive you if you make breakfast."

His face was serious, "I want you to know that I'm never leaving you again."

Alex nodded, hating that those words brought on new tears. Hating that he was the one person she couldn't hide much of anything from, least of all the fact that she needed him. "I love you so much..."

"I never want to be away from you again," he told her in return. "I don't know how I survived the last few months without you."

While Alex couldn't conceal the depths of her love for him if she tried, Dimitri had never tried. He never hesitated to tell her exactly how he felt.

"I missed you so much."

Alex kneeled down next to him, on the cold tile of the bathroom floor, cupping his face into her hands, reaching for his lips. Lips that were now wet with her tears.

"Why didn't you ever call, Alex?" he wanted to know. "Why didn't you ever ask me to come see you in London?"

"Because I knew you'd come if I asked you to. I wanted you to come because...you wanted to. Because you needed me as much as I need you."

"After I left you at Wildwind I convinced myself that it was the best thing I could do for you...that you were better off without me. But it was a lie. I left because I couldn't face you, because I was so consumed with guilt over having lost our son. I was convinced that you thought it was my fault."

Alex ran her hand along his face, "I could never think that...I know how much you loved him."

"I was so full of grief at the time, nothing made much sense anymore."

"I know..."

"Do you think about him all the time?" he asked her, his voice a whisper now.

"All the time. As soon as I close my eyes, I see him."

"I'm so sorry, Alex...I wish I could change what I did."

She wrapped her arms around him, "No more apologies."

He ran his hands through her hair, "I love you."

She kissed him again, hungrily, wanting his love, _his strength_, to envelop her. She got up and started undressing him and he did the same. Then, to her surprise, he turned on the shower, and pulled her into it, kissing her as the hot water cascaded around them, filling the room with a cloud of steam.

_Later_

"Can't you just...call in sick or something? It's such a beautiful day. We could go to Hyde Park and lie in the sun, or we could just stay here and eat, and make love and then eat some more and make love again..."

"I get the idea," Alex laughed as she finished buttoning her blouse, "But I have three more days of work left before I'm on vacation. I don't want to let Sanjay down. He's already short staffed as it is, and I already had to to take off for two days last week when Heidi had Phyllis."

"Are you sure?" Dimitri asked again. He stood next to her and held back her hair while she put out on a pair of earrings. He kissed the nape of her neck at the same time.

"Darling, I _really_ have to go now."

"I'll be here when you get home. I'm going to check out of my hotel and then meet with one of the editors of my London paper, in case you call my cell and I don't answer." He hated lying to her and promised himself it would be the last time.

"Sure." She blew him a kiss, and smiled as she walked out the door, "Love you."

He'd just picked up a mug of coffee and had his mouth full, so all he could do was return the sentiment with his eyes. 'And I love you,' he thought after she left. 'There's no one else I'll ever love as much.'

He waited for a few minutes after she left and then he reached for the Blackberry he had in the pocket of his jacket and searched for Robin Scorpio's phone number. It felt underhanded to contact Alex's only blood relative without her knowledge, but if he told Alex about his reasons for contacting Robin, he'd also have to tell her about O'Malley's phone call.

He dialled a number in Paris.

There was an autmated message telling him the number had been changed to a new one, forcing him to search for a pen and paper. He then dialed the new number and a young woman's voice answered pleasantly. _"Allo?"_

"Hello...is this Robin Scorpio?"


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter XL

_Padre o padre  
Tu non hai visto  
Re degli elfi  
Eccolo la _

_Father o father  
Haven't you see  
The King of the Elves  
There he is _

_Paris, France_

Robin had been sitting in front of her computer, sending her uncle an e-mail, when the phone rang. A man, whose voice she didn't recognize, asked her who she was. He spoke in English, with an American accent, and because of it Robin assumed it had to be someone from Port Charles.

Max sat on the floor, a few feet from her, playing with a group of alien looking figurines.

"Yes, this is Robin Scorpio. Can I ask who's asking?" _Please let Mac be alright._

"My name is Dimitri Marick, I was a friend of your mother's…"

"A friend of my mother's?" Robin furrowed her brows trying to recognize the caller's voice. "I'm sorry, but I don't remember her mentioning your name. Is there something I can do for you?"

Max suddenly started a round of gunfire as his figurines went into battle.

_"Kapow! Kapow!"_

Robin put a finger to her lips, telling him to be quiet.

"I know you must think this is odd... but I knew your mother very well and there's something I'd really like to talk to you about. It's about the..." Robin heard the hesitancy in the caller's voice. "Tanker explosion that claimed her life."

Robin frowned. A stranger needed to discuss her mother's death with her?

Max held up two planes and started running around the room with them, _"Kapow!"_

Robin covered the receiver with her hand. "Max! Would you be quiet for a sec? I know you're in the midst of an intergalactic battle but I need you to either have it quietly or in your room."

Then she focused her attention back on the phone call, "I'm sorry. My son's having an interplanetary war in our living room."

"I didn't realize you had a son…"

The mystery caller was starting to give her the creeps, 'Why _would_ you know that I have a son?' she thought. "Look, do I know you? You say you knew my mother and you want to talk to me about her death, why can't you tell me what you need to say over the phone?"

"I know this sounds strange, but I'd really like to speak to you in person. It's very important…"

"It is strange," she told him. "I don't make it a habit of getting together with strangers to talk about my mother's death."

"Do you have Internet access, Miss Scorpio?"

Robin wondered where this was leading. She glanced around the room and saw that Max had retreated to his room. "Yes, I'm on the Net right now. I was in the middle of sending my uncle an e-mail."

"If you go on my company website," he told her, giving her the URL, "You'll find everything you might want to know about me. And to prove to you that I am who I say I am, you'll see a list of phone numbers in contact section. Dial the second one on the list, and enter extension number 227. It will connect you to my Chief of Operations at the Ekati mine in Canada. His name is on the web site. Let him know who you are and he'll give you my cell phone number to call, to verify that I am who I say I am. Please. I'll reimburse you for the calls. I can't tell you how important this is. I'll hang up now so you can do that, is that alright?"

It was a strange request, but the sense of urgency in the stranger's voice made Robin comply. She did as he asked and phoned to ask the Chief of Operations of this diamond mine in Canada to give her Dimitri Marick's cell phone number. She called the man she had just spoken to and he answered the phone in one ring.

"So you are who you say you are?" Robin admitted. Or at least he had Dimitri Marick's phone. "So what? I still don't know what you want from me?"

"I need to meet with you as soon as possible, please. We can meet somewhere public, with your son or a friend if that makes you more comfortable."

Robin paused, her curiosity getting the better of her. He didn't _sound _like he had malicious intentions. 'He knows about my mother. About the explosion that killed her. How can I not see him?' she thought. "That's not necessary. I'll just let someone know when you're coming. When do you want to meet?"

"I'm in London right now. There's a high speed Chunnel train leaving London in thirty minutes. I can be on that train and in downtown Paris in less than three hours. They'll be faster than if I take a jet."

Robin smirked. _A _jet. Did that mean he had more than one? "I hope you have a reservation Mr. Marick. Those trains are very popular."

"Don't worry, I'll get on it. Thank you so much for deciding to meet with me."

Robin hung up the phone, still not sure what to make the call. She glanced at the web site again. 'The _owner_ of this mine is desperate to see _me_. How strange is that?'

She clicked on the heading that promised a glimpse of who Dimitri Marick was and started to read it.

'_Although it is in every sense of the word a truly American success story, the story of Marick Diamonds is also the story of a Hungarian nobleman named Dimitri Marick, Count Andrassy…' _

'_Dimitri Marick feels equally at home in the financial centres of New York, Budapest and Montreal, yet he chooses to run the bulk of his operation from his estate, Wildwind, located in the town of Pine Valley, Pennsylvania.'_

Suddenly a shiver ran up her spine.

She remembered Max's words at the orphanage:

"_My dad's castle in America. It's called Wildwind, and it's huge and full of secret passages, and there's stables with loads of horses."_

Robin gasped, her heart racing. She had to force herself to breathe. "This is a coincidence that's all…" But even as she said it she suddenly remembered what else Max had told her at the orphanage.

"_Is he a prince, Max?" _

"_Not a prince, a Count. He's Hungarian."_

_"But he lives in America?"_

_"That where all his business is. He's really, really rich. He owns lots of diamonds."_

"This is absurd," she whispered aloud. "This can't be. This man is a billionaire. He must be known all over the US, he cannot be Max's father. It's just not possible…"

She wanted to read more about about Dimitri Marick but her hands shook too hard to use the keyboard, and then, suddenly, another part of the website caught her attention. There was a small caption in the lower, right hand corner, in red lettering.

'_The Search for Max Continues.'_

Robin covered her lips with her hand, hoping the gesture would stop it from shaking. Then she somehow managed to click on the headline.

'_Marick Diamonds is offering a ten million dollar reward for any information leading to the whereabouts of seven year old Max, who was brutally kidnapped from a Pennsylvania campground in October of last year.'_

Robin widened her eyes in shock as she clicked the mouse again and found a photograph underneath the article. A picture of a little boy by the name of Maximillian Dimitri Marick.

A picture of _her_ son.

_St.Bartholomew's Hospital, London, England_

As soon as Alex entered the Emergency Ward, Sanjay and several others gave her a round of applause. "If it isn't the most famous _intern_ at St. Bart's…" Sanjay announced with a chuckle.

Alex grinned. "Funny."

He walked towards her as she signed in on the board in the hallway. "Everyone's talking about you today. Our patients will want you to write them prescriptions just to get your autograph…"

"Right," Alex was still grinning. "As if...I want to thank you, by the way, for what you did last night. You and your wife. To bid against Watson the way you did took a lot of nerve. You really didn't have to do that."

"Had I known your husband was waiting in the wings to blow all the other bids out of the water, I probably wouldn't have."

Alex laughed. "Dimitri was born knowing how to make an entrance. He's very good at it."

"He certainly is," Sanjay told her. "You really make a lovely couple, Alexandra."

Alex sat down, serious now. "I love him so much, Sanjay. It scares me sometimes. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for him."

"I have a feeling he'd go to the ends of the earth for you too…"

"I think you might be right."

Sanjay handed Alex her stethoscope. "There's a patient in the ICU I want you to have a look at with me. He's been a bit of a puzzle to all of us this morning and I thought maybe you could see something that we may have missed."

"Sure," Alex nodded, getting back up to follow him down the hallway.

"That reminds me," Sanjay added. "There's a man that was here earlier today looking for you. I told him you'd be here in the afternoon. He said he met you at a medical conference in Montreal. He's a bit shorter than me, grey hair, heavy accent...I think he said his name was Carson…no, Caisson, that's it. Dr. Caisson."

Alex shrugged her shoulders, "Doesn't ring a bell."

"Probably an autograph seeker."

"You really are funny today, you know that?"

Sanjay winked at her, "In any case, he said he'll come back to see you later today."

_Paris, France_

Robin couldn't stop staring at the photo of Max on the Marick Diamond website.

She bit her nails.

'This can't be…Pierre filed a police report when he turned up at the hospital…Interpol would have made the connection, wouldn't they? Besides, how can the kidnapped boy of an American billionaire end up alone on a park bench in Paris?' None of it made any sense.

Robin turned off the computer with shaking hands, unable to look at the Website any longer. 'Oh god, Max…I hope you can give me some answers…'

Max walked into the living room, as though he didn't have a care in the world.

"Hey...what...what are you doing'?" she asked, testing her voice.

"I came to get some _jus d'orange_ from the _frigo_." Usually she would have corrected his funny mix of French and English, but right now that was the very last thing on her mind.

"Max...sweetie, I need to talk to you."

Max looked at her, sensing her unease this time. "Are you mad at me?" he asked softly, moving up on to her lap. "Is it about the broken window?"

Last week Max had accidentally kicked his soccer ball right through the neighbour's window. She definitely _had _been upset then. But that too was the last thing on her mind now. "No...I'm not mad." Robin shook her head, pulling him against her, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Tell me something...who told you your parents died, Max?"

He tried to wriggle himself away from her, "I don't want to talk about this."

Robin held him tight, not letting him go. "This is really important, Max."

"I told you this already…"

"No you didn't. You told me your parents were dead. You never told me how…how they died. Or who told you..."

'And I never pressed the issue,' Robin chided herself, 'Because, deep down, I really didn't _want_ to know.'

"My grandma told me," he said sullenly, his face letting her know he wasn't enjoying this conversation.

"When exactly did she tell you?"

"I don't know."

"Max, I _know_ you know. I need you to tell me."

He looked at her angrily. "You _are_ mad at me."

Robin kissed him, "No sweetie. I'm not mad at you. But I think there's a chance some people might have lied to you and I need to know."

"I'm not going back to my grandma," he told her defiantly.

Robin made sure her eyes met his. "Max, you know I love you. I would never send you anywhere you don't want to go. Never. But I really need you to be honest with me right now and tell me everything you know. I need you to trust me, can you do that?"

His eyes harboured doubt, but he slowly nodded his head. "Okay."

"When did your grandma tell you your parents died?"

"I was at her house…I guess. I don't remember why I was there, Robin, I swear to you. All I remember is going camping with my Dad and Bianca…and then I was at my grandma's house."

Robin remembered the words she read on the website… _'seven year old Max, who was brutally kidnapped from a campground in Pennsylvania.'_

Robin's voice started to fail, "Then what, Max?"

"I was at my grandma's place and she told me my Mum and Dad…" Tears were tumbling down his cheeks now. "She said they died in a car accident…" he whispered the last sentence and Robin held him tight, hoping the embrace would help her stave off her own tears.

"It's okay, sweetie…I know you loved them."

"She never let me go to their funeral, Robin…"

"Tell me what happened next, Max…" She didn't bother to try and stop her tears anymore. 'How can anyone do this to a child?' she wondered in amazement. 'How could anyone break his heart like that?'

"My grandma told me I was going to stay with a man. He took me into a plane first and then a car. He made me wear handcuffs and he wasn't very nice, so I ran away…"

Robin remembered the cuts on his wrist when he had been first admitted to St. Agathe. 'Handcuffs,' she realized. 'It makes sense now. He wasn't an abused child, but a _kidnapped_ child.'

"I ran away from the man as soon as I could…then I got on a train. After that, I don't remember anymore, Robin. I just remember you and the hospital."

"It's okay, Max. You're doing amazing. There's just one more thing I need you to tell me. I need you to tell me what your name was. Your _real_ name before you met me."

Max shook his head, his eyes fearful. "No, Robin. I can't tell you."

"I swear to you Max, I won't tell anyone else what you're telling me, and no one is going to take you back to the orphanage, or to your grandma, or to that man…but you _have_ to tell me this, Max."

He shook his head more forcefully, "No."

"Yes, Max. Tell me."

"Promise me you won't send me away? Swear to me?"

"I promise you. Cross my heart, Max."

His voice was a whisper, "My name is Max...Max Marick." He looked at her to gauge her reaction. "Max Marick," he repeated it, slightly louder this time.

Robin wept as he said the words and cemented all the evidence she'd read on the Internet.

"Why are you crying, Robin?" Max asked gently.

"I'm crying because…because I'm scared Max. I'm scared of losing the most precious thing in my life."

He kissed her cheeks. "Don't cry, Robin."

How could she _ever_ let go of him?

"Max…" As difficult as it was, she had to know. "Max, what if I told you your parents were still alive?"

_St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, England_

"Alex, there's an older lady on a stretcher down the hallway. She's there with her grand-daughter. The woman says you saw her a couple of weeks ago and she insists on seeing you," Patrick, one of the RNs told her.

The ER had gotten steadily busier as the evening wore on, as was always the case on Saturday nights. Several patients now lined the hallway in stretchers.

Alex glanced over her shoulders, towards the elderly woman, recognizing her immediately. She'd spoken little English the first time Alex had seen her and because of it Alex had reluctantly spoken Russian with her. Now of course, the woman refused to see any other physician.

"Sure. As soon as I'm done here," she told the nurse. She was in the midst of stitching up the forehead of a bicycle courier who'd come to see her after an unexpected encounter with the edge of a sidewalk. She probed the side of his head as she cut the final stitch. "Does it hurt when I move my fingers along it?" she asked him.

"Nah."

"See your family doctor in a few days. He'll take the stitches out for you. If there's any dizziness, blurred vision, persistent pain or nausea, make sure you come back here before then, alright? And stay off your bike for the next twenty-four hours."

"I know the drill...thanks, Doc."

Alex raised her eyebrows; certain that he would ride, not walk, his bicycle home as soon as he left the ER. Just as she was certain that this wasn't his first nor his last head wound. "You're welcome…" she mumbled, but he was already walking away. She allowed herself a moment to relax as she threw out her gloves. She was getting light-headed from a lack of food, remembering that, in spite of Dimitri's well-intentioned trip to the grocery store in the morning, eating had been the very last thing on their minds for the rest of the day.

Still, the thought of him being at her flat tonight when she got home, brought a smile to her lips. 'God, I missed you so much…' She glanced at her Omega watch, 'One more patient. Patrick's Russian lady. Then I have to get some food, ' she thought. She cringed when she realized she's also missed her iron intake the past two days.

"Doctors really are the worst patients," she said aloud, knowing if one of her patients treated their anemia as carelessly as she did, she'd have lectured them about it.

"Is that so?"

Alex spun around, startled at the voice that came from the doorway. "Excuse me?"

The man smiled, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I spoke with Dr. Singh. He told me I could find you here." The man wore a suit the colour of metal and a silver matching tie. He had gray, shoulder length hair and a pair of the most intense eyes Alex had ever seen.

"I'm sorry…but do I know you?" Alex asked.

Cesar Faison held out his hand, still smiling, as his eyes penetrated hers. "My name is Doctor Gerard Caisson. I guess you could say I'm one of your admirers."


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter XLI

_Figlio Perduto  
Vuoi far' un gioco?  
Gioia ti porto  
Vieni con me _

_Lost son  
Do you want to play?  
I bring you joy  
Come with me _

_St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, England_

When Alex finished with the Russian lady, she took off her white lab coat and stethoscope and went to see Sanjay.

"I need to grab a quick bite. Also, the man you mentioned earlier came back and he's waiting for me. He says he wants to talk about some of the findings that we announced at a press conference in Montreal last year, out of McGill University."

"Sounds interesting."

"I don't know, Sanjay. I have this odd feeling about him. I don't remember him at all. Will you do me a favour?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Will you page me, if I'm not back in thirty minutes?"

Sanjay laughed, "The way things are going tonight, I'll be paging you before then…"

"Ah come on, you love the chaos." She gave him a mock salute before walking towards the waiting room where Dr. Caisson was seated.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting," she told him as she approached him.

"Not at all."

"Why don't we go across the street? There's a coffee shop. They've got good sandwiches."

He stood up, next to her. "Whatever is convenient for you."

They exchanged small talk on the way there and Faison frowned once they were inside the cafe. It was crowded and noisy. 'Too many people,' he thought. 'That will make it more difficult.'

He saw Alex line up at the sandwich counter.

"Please, have a seat," he offered her. "You've been on your feet all day. Allow me to get us something to eat and drink. What would you like?"

Alex shrugged her shoulders, "It doesn't matter. Coffee and a sandwich are fine."

Faison looked at her, soaking in the sight of her, and hating that he had to share her with this crowd. Wishing it were only the two of them here. 'And, we have our first difference,' he thought. 'Anna would most certainly have told me exactly what she wanted to eat.'

As soon as the server gave him the coffees, Faison took out a liquid vial from his pocket and emptied it discreetly into Alex's cup. The colourless and odourless liquid would make her pass out within minutes of its consumption.

He noticed that she had found a table near the wall, away from the coffee bar. 'Good,' he thought. 'At least that way we have a modicum of seclusion.'

He set the tray down next to her, and Alex offered him some cash. Faison in turn, gave her an offended look, "Please. I'm ecstatic that you've taken the time to meet with me. I would offer you dinner, if you had the time."

Alex took a sip of her coffee and looked at him, "I'm sorry, but I have to confess that I have no recollection of meeting you in Montreal." Normally she was good at remembering faces, especially ones as distinct as the one across from her, but she also knew that Dimitri had been a considerable distraction in Montreal. He'd whisked her away from the Convention Centre immediately after the press conference. "Also..." she added, "I'm not sure I'm the best person to discuss the results with you. I wasn't the principal researcher. In fact, you might want to try and contact Drs. Wong and Gomez, who are still at McGill."

Faison barely heard what she said, too absorbed was he in taking her every feature. He couldn't describe the thrill he felt to finally be sitting across from her. She was the mirror image of the only woman he had ever truly loved. 'You would have been just as beautiful were you alive today, Anna' he thought regretfully. He hated that this woman neither recognized him nor was aware of the power he had once wielded over her twin sister.

He watched her trying to figure him out. Her gaze was confident and unquestionably intelligent. 'I'm sure when you told Dimitri Marick you would save him from his fatal illness he didn't doubt you for a minute. What man would doubt those eyes?'

And yet, there was something missing. Anna's eyes had never been able to conceal the intensity that was the essence of her being. It was that life force, that _passion_, he now searched for and when he couldn't find it in her sister's eyes, it left him strangely disappointed.

Where Anna would have been restless, Alexandra seemed calm and where Anna would have been animated, Alexandra seemed subdued. 'Charlotte was right. She got the weaker twin. The thinker not the warrior. Anna versus Alexandra is a question of the physical versus the cerebral. No wonder poor Charlotte harboured a grudge that was to last a lifetime.'

Alex felt as though this man was analyzing her. His eyes penetrated her, making her feel uncomfortable. Although she was starving, she no longer felt like eating the sandwich he had bought her. "Did you hear me?" she asked

"No, you're precisely the person I want to talk to," he answered her.

"So you agree with myself and Dr. Wong then, that in order fully realize their potential we have to focus more efforts on exploring the plasticity of pluripotent adult stem cells rather than embryonic stem cells, simply because of the restricting guidelines involved in the latter."

"Yes, I do agree with that."

"In fact, I firmly believe that if the research continues at its current rate we're mere years away from being able to take a biopsy of human skin cells and harvest them to expand into their own stem cells. The possibilities are incredible. Limitless, really."

Now her eyes were animated, and it was hard not to get caught up in her enthusiam, even if what she was saying made no sense to him. Maybe he was wrong. She was passionate, after all, just not about anything that would ever have mattered to Charlotte.

"Definitely," he agreed with a smile.

Alex took another gulp of her coffee, wondering what to make of his one-word answers following his initial eagerness to discuss the results of her research. "What area of medicine do you specialize in, Dr. Caisson?"

"I'm a Neurologist like yourself."

Alex wondered how he knew that. It was not something she'd mentioned at the press conference or something she advertised at St. Bartholomew's. She wanted to ask him but was suddenly overcome by a wave of fatigue. She took another sip of the coffee in an effort to fight it off. She was used to exhaustion and working through it, yet, this somehow felt different. Her eyelids were painfully heavy and merely sitting upright seemed to require a monumental effort. "I see…" was all she managed to say.

Faison watched as the drug started to take its effect on her, using these last few moments to study her. Her physical resemblance to Anna mesmerized him, even as he noted one subtle difference after another. Differences such as the thick bracelet she wore. It bore an elaborate design and it was jewellery that he was certain Anna would never have worn.

'In the classical sense, she's more beautiful than Anna,' he decided. Even though her hair was loosely tied back in a large hair clip and she wore minimal make-up, there was an effortless elegance about her. Merely by observing the way her clothing fit her, Faison was certain they held designer labels on the inside.

Alex stared at Faison, uncertain whether he had said something or not. She was so tired, that eating the sandwich was no longer an option. It required too much effort. She managed to finish the coffee, and yet the caffeine seemed to have a reverse effect on her.

Faison watched as she dug her fingernails into her palms in an attempt to ward off the drug's sedative effect. The gesture pleased him, 'I see you've got some fighter instincts.' He looked at his Baume et Mercier watch. It had been almost ten minutes since they had sat down at the table. She should have been out by now.

Alex stared at him, too tired to focus on what he was doing. She started to push away her chair from the table, holding out her hand to shake his, "Dr. Caisson, I apologize…but I have to go. I don't feel so well…" As she spoke, she could hear herself slurring the words. Her vision blurred as she stood up and suddenly the whole room turned black.

Faison got up with lightning speed. "Let me help you, Alexandra."

She barely took two steps, before collapsing into his waiting arms. He scooped her up with ease and carried her away from the table.

He ignored the stares of the other patrons and calmly made his way towards the doors.

"Sir, is she alright...? Is there anything I can do for you? I can run across to St. Bart's to get a doctor for her…" a server, with a worried expression offered Faison.

Faison gave him a fake smile in return, "That's not necessary. My wife is a patient at St. Bart's…I had a feeling that coming here would be too much for her. I'm taking her right back."

The server stared at Faison. He could have sworn he had seen the woman here before, and that she was a doctor at the hospital, not a patient.

"Can I help with _anything_?" the server pressed, feeling that something wasn't right.

"I said I'm fine," Faison hissed. "Now, if you'll kindly get out of my way." Faison walked out of the coffee shop with Alex in his arms, and as he did, her hairclip fell to the ground.

The server picked it up and as he followed the man outside, to give it back to him. He noticed that he wasn't taking the unconscious woman to St. Bart's but instead he stepped into a blue BMW with a driver that seemed to have been waiting there for him.

The server stared after them, genuinely uncomfortable nw. "I should call the police…"

An irate customer interrupted his train of thought, "Excuse me…I ordered café au lait not cappuccino! Warm milk is the key, not foam!"

The server took the man's cup, "I'm so sorry! Please take a seat...I'll bring the espresso to your table."

"_Café au lait_!".

"I…that's what I meant." The server looked out the window of the café and saw that the blue BMW was already gone. What would be the point of calling the police now? He wouldn't have so much as a license plate to give them. For all he knew the man was taking the woman to another hospital.

The server walked back to his coffee machine and started making a cafe au lait.

_Paris, France_

Robin Scorpio sat down at kitchen table, waiting for Dimitri Marick to arrive. She held on to a cup of mint tea, cupping it with both hands. She sipped its soothing contents slowly, in an attempt to calm her nerves.

_Max's father is going to be here any minute._

Only an hour earlier she had called one of her colleagues from the hospital, Julie, desperately pleading with her to take Max for the night.

Robin still remembered the urgency of her plea, "Please. I need to ask you a huge favour…you need to take Max for the night."

"Robin!" her colleague had chided her, laughing on the phone, "This is not like you at all…whoever it is, he must be quite the hunk…"

"No…it's nothing like that. Please, I'm begging you, this is really important. And you can't tell anyone you're taking him."

"Robin, you know I don't mind looking after him. I adore him. But, are you in some kind of trouble?"

"No…I..it's nothing like that. Please, will you do this for me? I'll owe you, Julie."

"Of course...I'll be there in an hour to pick him up."

"Can you come sooner?"

When she came, her friend had been concerned. "Are you sure you're not in some kind of trouble, Robin?"

Robin shook her head, "No…I'll be fine. Please, just leave your phone on, if I need to call you."

"Robin, you're scaring me…"

"Please?"

Robin had bent down to kiss her son. "I love you Max, and I'll call you soon, okay?"

"Why do I have to go with Julie?" he had asked, knowing instinctively that something wasn't right.

"Because there's something I need to do alone."

Julie had given Robin a hug before leaving, "I'll take good care of him."

And now Robin sat alone in her kitchen. Waiting.

She thought back to her conversation with Max earlier too. When she'd asked him what he do if his parents could still be alive. His reaction had told them what she knew all along. That somewhere, somehow, he'd been very loved.

Max told her he'd want to see them. He started crying when he told her that he missed them.

When she asked him more questions about his parents, he'd answered them for her. He told her that he lived alone with his mother in Wales for a long time before meeting his father. He'd told her about going to America, about his father's big house. About how much he'd loved living there.

Even so, the fact that Max had only recently met his father, made Robin suspicious. Why had he grown up without his father? Why hadn't Dimitri Marick mentioned Max's mother when he called? _Was it possible that he was somehow involved in his own son's kidnapping? _

'If you think I'm just going to sit here and hand him over to you, you're sadly mistaken, Mr. Marick. He's _my_ son now. I'll do whatever it takes to protect him..'

The mere fact that he had blatantly lied about why he was coming to see her made her angry.

'He says he wants to talk to me about my mother, but I now know that's a lie. He's probably afraid I'd run away with Max if he told me why he's really coming to see me…and yet why would he give me his website address? Did he really think I wouldn't see that little blurb about his kidnapped son? And how in the world, did he find out I have him?'

There were so many things that didn't make any sense, and it made Robin fear for Max.

'You're a shady man, Mr. Marick,' Robin decided. 'Just because you have more money than any human being should, doesn't necessarily make you a decent person. Maybe Max is better off without you.'

The doorbell rang, a full thirty minutes earlier than Robin had expected it to. 'Well, it looks like I'm about to find out.'

She went to open her door, and saw a tall, well-dressed man outside. She had been careful to remove the half dozen pictures of Max and herself that were all over her apartment and she had closed the door to Max's room.

"Mr. Marick, I take it," Robin looked at him, unblinking, forcing her eyes to meet his.

"Miss Scorpio, thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me. I know my request must have sounded odd." He wasn't so much handsome as he was charming and charismatic. Robin had a feeling that Dimitri Marick was used to getting his way with relative ease.

"_Doctor_ Scorpio, actually," she corrected him. It wasn't something she ever did, but at the moment she felt as defensive as she had ever felt in her young life. She was a tigress protecting her cub. "And yes, you're right, your request _is_ strange, Mr. Marick, so if you'll please cut to the chase and tell me what you want from me."

Dimitri smiled, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you had completed your degree.

"I didn't realize that you knew I was even in the process of getting a medical degree. How did you know my mother, Mr. Marick?"

"I have to admit," Dimitri conceded. "Your mother and I were only casual acquaintances…but I look at you, and I see certain...family traits. "

"You see family traits and you know I went to med school, almost a decade after she died. Sounds like more than a casual acquaintance to me, Mr. Marick."

Dimitri seemed taken aback, puzzled almost, by her hostility. "Alright...I haven't been completely honest with you. I didn't come here to talk about your mother, Robin. May I call you Robin?"

'So here it comes,' Robin thought, feeling her stomach muscles tighten. "Sure you can call me Robin, _Dimitri_."

"When you went on my Website, Robin, you might have seen a part that mentioned my son. I had…I _have_ a young son, named Max, who was kidnapped last year."

Robin briefly closed her eyes. 'This is it,' she thought. 'Why is he even bothering with all this pretence, why doesn't he just ask me where I've got Max hidden away?'

"I have a team of private investigators..." Dimitri continued. "That are trying to find him and early today one of my investigators mentioned a name to me that I thought_ you_ might be familiar with."

Robin gave him a puzzled glance, "A name?"

"Does the name Cesar Faison ring a bell with you?'"

Now it was Robin who was taken aback. This was not at all what she had expected. "What could Cesar Faison have to do with your son's kidnapping?"

"About seven months ago, in Calais, a man named Cesar Faison contacted various mob families and informed them that he was looking for a little boy. A little boy that happened to fit my son's description perfectly."

"Cesar Faison is dead," Robin countered. "He died along with my parents on a boat explosion off the coast of South America, over ten years ago."

Dimitri nodded, "I know…that's what I was told as well. That's why I've come to see you, Robin. In the hope that maybe you can tell me something, anything, about this Cesar Faison, that might help my investigators."

A million thoughts ran through her mind.

'He doesn't know I have Max. He _doesn't_ know.'

'Cesar Faison was alive? Did that mean there was a chance her parents could be as well?'

'No!' Robin shook the thought from her mind, 'There's no way they could be alive without having contacted me. No matter how much danger they might be in, they would have let me know. They loved me too much not to.'

She took a deep breath, reeling from the thoughts that assaulted her, "Look Mr. Marick…Dimitri, I think you've wasted your time. I was barely a teenager when my parents were killed. The only thing I know about Cesar Faison is that he was a sick, twisted person whose fixation with my mother killed both my parents. He was obsessed with my Mom and when he finally realized that she'd never love him, he decided to do the only thing that made sense to him. He kidnapped her. My father tried to get to her, but by the time he got to the boat where he held her, Faison decided that if he couldn't have my Mom then no one should. He blew up the boat killing all three of them."

Dimitri's face softened with genuine empathy, "I'm sorry, Robin. I didn't mean to bring up painful memories for you."

"Anything to do with Cesar Faison is unpleasant, Dimitri. He was a vile man. He should have been locked up in an institution for the criminally insane. The only consolation I had after my parents died was the fact that my father got to my mother in time. That she knew how much he loved her and that they died together." She wiped away a tear, as she spoke, the thought of how her parents died could still make her cry, even now, more than ten years later.

Dimitri got up to hand her a tissue. "I'm so sorry for your loss. No child should lose their parents so young…"

Robin took the tissue from his hand. "Thank you." There was something kind and gentle about this man that suddenly made her feel comfortable in his presence, even though he was a stranger to her. 'But he's _not_ a stranger,' she corrected herself, 'He's Max's father.' Did Max inherit his gentleness from his father? From this man standing in front of her?

"I know it hurts you to talk about this, but is there anything at all that you might remember about Cesar Faison?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Marick…I can't help you."

Dimitri looked like he wanted to press the issue, but didn't have the heart. "You remind me of my wife..." he said softly. "Both of you have been hurt too often. I didn't mean to open up old wounds for you."

Robin didn't say anything.

"I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me," Dimitri told her. He turned towards her door, stepping on a toy car in the process. He picked it up, "You said you have a son…"

Robin froze as she looked at him, " I…yes…I do."

"Is he away?"

Robin's lower lip trembled. 'He doesn't know,' she told herself. 'If I don't say anything, he's going to walk out that door and never come back…'

"Yes…he's...he's at a friend's house…"

Dimitri nodded, "I just noticed you don't have any photos of him. How old is he?"

Her mouth was completely dry now. "He's..eight years old. He just turned eight."

Dimitri still held the toy car in his hand. "Max would've turned eight a couple of months ago…"

Robin heard his voice falter, much like hers.

"Or I maybe I should say he _did_…I don't even know, Robin. Not knowing whether your child is dead or alive…it's so hard. It eats at you every single minute of every day. I wonder sometimes, if he is alive, what is he thinking? That we abandoned him?"

Robin couldn't look at him anymore. She fought to hold back her tears.

Dimitri caught her struggle. "I'm sorry…this is _my_ grief. I didn't mean to say all that…you're right I don't even know you."

"Tell me about your son, Mr. Marick."

Dimitri stared at the toy car, as he spoke, "I don't know what to say, Robin I only knew him for seven months but I think I loved him the moment I laid my eyes on him. Before I knew he was my son. He's got this funny way of smiling, this lopsided grin that lights up his whole face…" Dimitri smiled now, "Sometimes I'd look at him and wonder how this amazing little person could be my son. Could be a part of _me_…mind you, I can't take all the credit. My wife is pretty incredible too and he really does take after her more than me."

Dimitri set down the car on the table, "I really should go. Thank you again, Robin."

He was almost at the door.

'_He doesn't know, Robin_.'

The voice echoed in her head. 'He _never_ has to know.'

"Good-bye."

Robin closed her eyes, not sure how she found the strength to speak.

"Mr. Marick…Wait."


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter XLII**

_Figlio Perduto  
Se tu non vieni  
Io usero la Forza che ho _

_Lost Son  
If you don't come with me  
I will use the Power that I have _

_Churchill Intercontinental Hotel, London, England_

"Why hasn't she woken up yet?" Faison asked his assistant for the second time.

"She did wake up in the car," Jan reminded him. "That's when you gave her the injection."

"She was struggling," Faison reminded him. "What other option did I have?" Struggling was an understatement. She'd regained consciousness much sooner than expected and the first thing she'd tried to do was claw his eyes out with her fingernails. Maybe she was more like Anna than he thought.

"It's been over three hours now!" Faison told him as he paced the hotel suite they were in. "You said the injection shouldn't last more than an hour."

Jan sat next to the fireplace, reading a newspaper. He glancing up at his anxious boss, "The injection alone shouldn't, but the two drugs combined..." He shrugged his shoulders, "Who knows? Plus, consider that she's not very big. The stuff I gave you was meant to knock out an average sized male…maybe you should've only given her half…or maybe the two drugs combined increased their potency."

Faison stood within a hair's breath of Jan, "Why didn't you mention all this before?"

"Maybe it's neither…what do you know about this woman anyway? What if she has some pre-existing medical condition? She could have heart problems for all we know."

Faison scowled, his eyes burning, "Don't tell me that, Jan."

"It's the truth," Jan reminded him. "We don't know anything about her. Anna might have been in perfect health fifteen years ago, but this woman _isn't_ Anna."

Faison stared at Alex, still unconscious on the bed next to him. She stirred, moaning as she moved her hand towards her head. "I think she's coming to…" Faison told Jan, the relief in his voice palpable.

Jan shook his head, "I wouldn't bet on it. She did that before too, while you were downstairs. Maybe take off her jewellery, so she doesn't hurt herself when she does wake up."

Faison sat down on the bed next to her and shook his head, frowning. She was still again, her eyes firmly shut. He lifted up her wrist and took off her bracelet, noticing a series of thin scars along her wrist. Then he took off her watch and saw similar lines on her other wrist as well. He caressed them tenderly. 'Suicide attempt…' he realized, both shocked and disappointed.

'Anna would never try to kill herself,' he thought.

He stood up and examined her watch, holding it in his palm.

"Omega. That's last letter of the Greek alphabet, Jan." There was an implied finality in the word. The watchmaker implied that it would be the best, and last watch, its purchaser would ever buy. It was the kind of gift a husband would get his new wife. The kind of gift she wouldn't expect to receive from anyone else. Even so, Faison was disappointed in its simplicity. Sure, it was a high-quality Swiss brand, but it was also an older model, well worn; its metal band scratched along the edges and its design was devoid of any opulence. "You'd think the wife of a diamond mine owner would wear something a little more ostentatious, don't you think, Jan? Maybe a Marick diamond studded Rolex."

Faison turned it around and read the inscription on the back, '_A love for all time. D_'.

For some reason, the finality of those words irritated him. Faison took out his handgun as he placed the watch on a counter top. He raised the butt of his gun and sent it crashing down onto the watch face. The sudden noise made Jan jump up in his seat.

Surprisingly, the harsh blow did nothing more than put a small crack in the watchface.

Faison allowed himself a smile, "Now that's craftsmanship. You don't get quality like this anymore these days. No wonder she doesn't want to part with it." He raised his gun again and struck the watch with its butt once more. This time the glass on the watch face broke, stopping the hands on the watch from ticking.

"Looks like _all time_ ended today, Jan."

Jan nodded, "Whatever you say, boss." He eyed him as Faison threw the watch into a waste bin.

Faison then took off her final piece of jewellery, her wedding band. He was about to throw it away as well, but then stopped himself as he took a closer look at it, holding it up against the light of the window. "This is quite the masterpiece, Jan. A mix of so many different elements; diamonds, platinum, white and yellow gold. On paper it would sound garish, yet on this ring they look as though they were meant to be worn together, exactly like this. It's exquisite." He put it in his pocket, knowing it would net him a small fortune once he found a buyer.

And then he sat down next to Alex again, taking her hand and holding against his cheek.

He kissed it gently, and closed his eyes, oblivious to Jan's presence.

"_Tu m'as manqué, ma chere Anna. Tu m'as tellement manqué…_"

_Paris, France_

"Mr. Marick…wait."

Robin said the words just as Dimitri was about to walk out the door.

"What is it, Robin?" Dimitri asked. She suddenly looked very pale. "Are you alright?"

"Do you love your son, Mr. Marick?"

Dimitri walked towards her, not sure what to make of the question. "Of course...he's the most precious thing in my life. Robin, why don't you let me get you a glass of water? You don't look so well."

He helped her sit down, concerned now. There was a fragility about her that he hadn't caught earlier. He went into her kitchen and poured some water into a glass, handing it to Robin. She took it with shaking hands, "Do you miss your son, Mr. Marick?"

Dimitri stared at her, confused. "Why are you asking me these questions? How could I not miss my son? You're a parent yourself. You have to know I would give up everything I own to have him back again."

She stared at him, her eyes full of tears now.

Dimitri didn't know what to make of her strange behaviour. "What's wrong, Robin?"

"Go to the cabinet over there. The one with the plant on top. Open the second drawer, and look under the chequered blanket."

Dimitri didn't understand. "What?"

"Just do it…damn it. "

Dimitri did as she instructed. He opened the drawer and lifted the blanket to find half a dozen framed photos underneath it. He picked up the first one and saw a picture of Robin and a little boy next to Mickey Mouse, in front of a sign that read 'EuroDisney.'

Then he took a closer look and gasped.

"What? This is not possible..."

He dropped it to the ground, shattering its glass covering.

His knees shook as he bent down to pick it up. The boy was smiling, that familiar lopsided grin, as he looked at Robin. His hair was cut shorter than he remembered it and he had grown taller. Dimitri tried to speak but he couldn't form the words. "This…this is…this is my son. This is Max. What are you doing in a photo with _my_ son?"

Robin said nothing as Dimitri glared at her.

"Tell me, dammit! What kind of sick joke is this? What are you doing in a photo with my son? Where is he?" He wanted to shake her, his earlier concern for her overshadowed by anger now. "_Tell me!_"

Robin's face was streaked with tears. "Almost eight months ago, a little boy was brought into the Emergency Room at St. Agathe, the hospital where I work." She paused to catch her breath. "A woman found him lying on a park bench. He was sick and feverish, and one of his wrists had been badly cut."

Dimitri couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"He didn't say anything at first," Robin went on. "He refused to talk and when I finally did get him to open up, all he would tell me was that his name was Max. That his parents had died. We examined him and filed a police report. We did everything that you're supposed to do with abandoned children, except my colleague thought he was a local, runaway gypsy and he probably convinced the police not to bother with searching through a global database."

"I don't understand..." Dimitri managed.

"Max ended up at an orphanage…and for some inexplicable reason I couldn't stay away from him. He did something to me…he brought out this part of me that I didn't think existed."

Robin wiped away her tears as she continued, "Four months ago I officially adopted him. And then, out of nowhere, I get a phone call from you. I saw your website. I saw Max…I didn't know what to do."

"_You_ adopted my son?" Dimitri asked incredulously.

Robin nodded, "I thought he was an abandoned child. I had no idea who he was. I would never have..." She couldn't stop the tears. "I just know I love him with all my heart."

Dimitri shook his head in disbelief. It was all too much.

At the same time he saw the toll it was taking on the young woman next to him, _on Alex's niece_, and he did the only thing that made sense to him. He sat down next to her and put his arms around her. "Thank you, Robin. Thank you for looking after him…for loving him."

Robin was still crying. "How can I let him go? I love him so much...tell me, how?"

Dimitri couldn't find the words to answer her, so he simply held her and let her cry.

He held her, until Robin's tears finally stopped, and she looked at him, "What now?" she asked. "What do we do now?"

"Where is he?"

"He's with a colleague of mine, Julie. I can call her…and ask her to come here."

_Max was here. He could come here in a few minutes. _

As it finally sank in, he too was overcome with emotion. "Oh god, yes, please call her. Please, Robin."

Robin nodded slowly, her movements almost lethargic. He listened as she spoke on the phone in French, asking her friend to come back to the apartment with Max.

"I'd like to speak to him before he sees you…" Robin told him. "He'll be so shocked. Whoever kidnapped him told him both his parents died in a car accident."

"Yes...of course."

He was going to see Max. In a matter of minutes. Dimitri felt like his heart might stop beating. His son was here. With Robin.

"When I first saw you in my doorstep, I was ready to despise you," Robin admitted softly. "I was hoping to convince myself that he was better off without you. But already...I can see traits of his in you. I can also see that you love him. Very much."

"May I see his room?" Dimitri asked her.

Robin leaned back against the sofa, exhausted. "Go ahead."

Dimitri stepped inside Max's room, staring at the toys, books and pictures that were everywhere. _Max's things. _There were race cars, stuffed animals and soccer balls. They filled a room that was decorated by someone who obviously loved its occupant. He sat down on the bed and held his son's pillow against his face.

It had been almost eight months since Max had been kidnapped.

Dimitri had only known him for seven short months before the kidnapping.

'Robin probably knows you as well as I do…' the thought filled him with an enormous regret. 'But not...better than your Mom.'

_Alex_. He suddenly remembered her. He glanced at his watch, realizing she'd still be at work, at St. Barts.

He pulled his cell phone out of his jacket pocket. "Darling, call me as soon as you get this message. I have the most amazing news. Call me as soon as you can. I love you."

Dimitri knew her cellphone would be turned off at the hospital and he debated calling the hospital direct. He'd wait for a little while, in case she checked her messages. If she didn't call him soon he'd call the hospital, he decided.

He stared at the ceiling, still holding on to Max's pillow, "Alex, this is so incredible…you're not going to believe it. But when you realize it's true, you're going to be ecstatic.' He wanted to tell her right away. Patience wasn't his strong suit. "You should be here…" he whispered. "Y_ou_ should be the first one he sees.'

And then there was Robin, who had no idea that the boy she had adopted was already related to her. 'She's going to be in for a shock when she sees you too. How am I going to tell her all this?'

Dimitri took a deep breath, 'One thing at a time.'

He heard the doorbell ring. 'He's here...' Dimitri's hands trembled and he tightened his hold on Max's pillow.

Robin poked her head through the door of Max's bedroom. "They're here. Will you wait here, until I've talked to him, please?"

"Yes…yes, of course."

Robin closed the door to Max's bedroom and moved to answer the doorbell. Julie and Max stood outside.

Max ran towards her, hugging her. He held a bunch of tiny, hand picked flowers in his hand, "Here, look what we got for you."

She took it from him, feeling the tears start to well up again. "Thanks, Max…and thank you, Julie." Robin embraced her friend. "I owe you one."

Julie gave Max a little wave goodbye, "Anytime my friend. Your cutie pie was a pleasure to look after."

Max had plopped himself down on the sofa, "Can we go for a bike ride later?"

Robin shook her head, "No, Max. No bike ride tonight. There's someone here to see you. Someone who's missed you a lot."


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter XLIII**

_Con un cavallo  
Vanno avanti  
In questa grande  
Oscurita _

_With a horse  
They progress  
In this immense  
Darkness _

_St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, England_

Dr. Sanjay Singh was furious. He was speaking to a police officer on the phone and what she was telling him made absolutely no sense to him.

"What do you mean I have to wait twenty-four hours before filing a missing persons report? She could be _dead_ in twenty-four hours!"

It was the law, the officer reminded him. "If your missing doctor doesn't turn up by then I strongly advise you to give me a call back and we'll file a missing person report."

"Please, officer," Sanjay tried again. "I'm telling you something is very wrong here. This is one of my best ER physicians; she would _never_ just take off and leave for five hours without notifying me. Never. She's not answering her pages and there was a man, a stranger who met her here just before she disappeared. I'm sure he has something to do with it."

"Doctor Singh, I'll say it one last time. We have to wait twenty-four hours and then we'll file the report. If it's any consolation, sir, over ninety-five percent of missing persons turn up within twenty-four hours."

Sanjay rubbed his forehead in frustration, "I'm sorry, but your statistics are not reassuring me. Can't you make an exception this time? We're not talking about an irresponsible teen…"

"I'm sorry, sir."

"I understand, thank you." He slammed down the phone, cursing as he finally lost his temper. He had paged Alex only twenty minutes after she had left with the stranger, when a sudden onslaught of trauma cases left the ER flooded with patients.

It was a full two hours later when Sanjay realized that Alex was still nowhere in sight and that she had never answered his page. He had paged her again when one of the nurses pointed out the line up of stretchers in the hospital hallway.

"We could really, _really_ use an extra pair of hands," she had told him, exasperated.

She was right, if Alex didn't turn up, he would have to call in another doctor to help with the patient load. But then and there, he had been more concerned about Alex than with the backlog of incoming cases. He knew her well enough to know there was no way she would simply take off like that.

Something was very wrong.

Now, several hours and one frustrating phone call later, he was no closer to knowing what had happened to her.

"What's going on here?" a voice behind him demanded. "Your ER looks like a zoo."

Sanjay turned around to see the Chief of Staff hover over him. "We got swamped. It happens on Saturday nights."

"Who are your on-call physicians?"

"Doctors Patel, Gumovski and Forrester."

"Are they here?"

"Forrester is, Patel and Gumovski are on their way."

"And where's Dr. Marick?"

Sanjay avoided Watson's gaze. "I don't know."

"What do you mean, 'you don't know'?"

"That's what I mean. She left almost five hours ago to get something to eat, with a stranger who claimed to have met her at a medical conference. I haven't seen her since. I'm worried about her..."

"She just left and didn't come back for five hours? Is that the kind of leniency you practice around here, Sanjay?"

Sanjay had to bite his tongue. Watson's cold-blooded reaction making him wonder how much longer he'd be able to stand working for the man. "I said I'm worried about her. It's not something she would do."

"Yet she obviously _did_. If she doesn't turn up in the next hour, I don't want to see her face in this hospital again. I don't care how many millions her husband pumps into this hospital. Contrary to popular belief, we do have certain standards here, Dr. Singh. Is that understood?"

"All too clearly, Dr. Watson..." Sanjay mumbled.

_Churchill Intercontinental Hotel, London_

Faison was starting to feel uncomfortable.

To say Alex didn't look well was an understatement. She wasn't just pale, but her skin had taken on a greyish tint and her hands felt cold and clammy.

Relief flooded him when he saw her trying to wake up.

"She's coming around, Jan." _Finally. _It had been well over five hours since Faison had brought her to the hotel, the longest time anyone had ever taken to wake up from something like this.

Faison watched her struggle to make sense of her bearings, giving her a tiny push back when she tried to sit up, "Easy…not so fast. You're going to make yourself sick."

"Who are you?" Alex asked him, groggily.

Faison moved his hand across her forehead only to find covered in cold perspiration. "I'm someone who cares for you," he said softly. He picked up a glass of water on the bedside table and held it next to her lips. "Here...drink something. It'll make you feel better."

Alex stared at him, recognition dawning in her eyes, "The coffee...you drugged the coffee..._bastard_."

She pushed the glass of water out of his hands, spilling its contents onto Faison's lap.

"Damn it!" Faison cursed and Alex used his momentary distraction to deliver a punch right into his nose.

Faison reeled backwards and Alex pushed herself off the bed and ran towards the hotel room door. She didn't seem to notice Jan, who grabbed her as soon as he saw what was happening and tackled her down to the ground.

Faison watched her trying to fight him off. If she weren't so weak and out of it, she might have stood a chance, as her strikes against him were those of a professional. Apparently Charlotte Devane had taught her something after all. But she was in no shape for a fight and even Jan had no trouble pinning her down.

She collapsed under his weight and seemed to lose all energy in the process. She groaned when Jan yanked her up and shoved her back into the bed.

"Well, well…that wasn't very smart," Jan told her, shaking his head in annoyance, while Faison wiped his bloodied nose with a wet towel, "If this is the kinder, gentler twin, then I'm glad I never met the other one."

"She's confused and scared…that's all it is," Faison told him.

Jan snickered, "Scared? If you say so."

Faison watched as Alex drifted back into unconsciousness, touching her forehead again, only to find it burning hot this time. He looked at Jan angrily, "What _was_ in that drug? I've seen others wake up badly to this stuff, but not like this. She's running a fever and having trouble breathing…this isn't supposed to happen, Jan!"

Jan raised his hands in defence, "You know I don't walk into a pharmacy to get this stuff. I get it off the street. Sometimes it's laced with other drugs, sometimes people react badly to it. I'm not a doctor. Why don't you ask her?"

"I might if she were conscious enough to have a conversation!"

"She'll come around," Jan reassured him. "She was well enough to bloody your nose and make a run for it a minute ago."

"I hope so..." Faison whispered. This wasn't going according to plan at all. Not that there _was_ much of a plan. All he wanted was some time with her alone. He wanted it so desperately he'd go to any lengths to get it. He wanted her in his element, not here in London. He had planned to bring her to Copenhagen. There he would tell her that her son was still alive, knowing that any information he had to give her about Max would capture her attention like nothing else would. It wasn't much, but it was a start. He also wanted to tell how much he had loved her sister. Faison had no doubts that she would want to know things about Anna too, things that only he could tell her. "This is such a mess," he told Jan. "We should have been on my jet to Copenhagen an hour ago. By now the hospital must know she's missing."

"What happens when we get her to Copenhagen?" Jan questioned. "Eventually she'll figure out that you don't have a clue as to where Max is. How will you prevent her from going to the police after you tell her you took him from Charlotte?"

"By then she'll have seen me in a different light."

Jan said nothing. Faison knew his assistant thought he was deluded, but Faison also knew that he had to do what he was doing. He had to have her to himself, if only for a few days. Her resemblance to Anna was too great for him to be able to stay away from her.

"You think I'm a fool, don't you?" he told Jan. "You're wrong. I know this woman is going to fight me at first. But I also think she'll listen to what I have to tell her. Once she realizes how close I was to the sister she never knew, she might even do more than listen. Given who she married, Alexandra is obviously drawn to powerful men and when she finds out just how much power I wield, she _will_ be drawn to me. I'm willing to bet on it."

_Paris, France_

"Someone's here to see _me_?" Max asked Robin, running his fingertips along the flowers he had just picked.

Robin pulled him onto her lap, hugging him. "Remember that we talked about your parents and your grandma this morning?"

He looked at her with apprehension, "Yeah."

"Remember I asked you how you'd feel about your parents being alive?"

Max's face was serious now, "Uh huh."

"I don't know how to say this without sounding crazy...but when your grandma told you your parents died, she wasn't telling you the truth, Max."

"What do you mean, Robin?" He pulled back, his eyes widening.

"Your parents aren't dead, Max. You were kidnapped by someone who told you they were dead, someone who also wanted to make your parents believe that you were dead."

He shook his head in denial, "No, Robin…why would she lie?Why would she tell me..."

Robin cupped his chin in her hands. _Give me the strength to do this. For him. Because I love him so much_. "Max your Dad is here...and he loves you very much. He's missed you as much as you missed him."

"No, Robin…I don't believe you." It was too much for him to digest.

Dimitri had to have heard, and he stepped into the living room before Robin had to search for an answer. "It's true, Max," he answered for her.

Max stared at him in disbelief. As if he'd seen a ghost. His lower lip quivered and tears started tumbling down his cheeks.

Robin watched as Dimitri kneeled down next to him, embracing him so tightly it looked as though he might never let go of him again. In turn, Max buried his face in his father's chest and sobbed.

'I did the right thing,' Robin thought. 'But why does it hurt so much?' Observing them made her feel like an intruder. Their reactions to seeing each other were so raw. So intimate.

"What about Mum?" Max asked Dimitri once his head finally came up for air. "Is Mum here too? Is she okay too?"

"Yeah…" For a moment it seemed like Dimitri couldn't speak. "Yeah, your Mom's fine." He laughed, "But she doesn't know…oh god, you have no idea how happy she's going to be." He ran a hand through Max's hair, as if checking to make sure he was real. "You look...different, Max. You're taller." He smiled and ran his fingers through his hair again, "But your hair's shorter. Neater." He wiped away Max's tears with his hand, "I missed so much again…"

"Why did my grandma tell me you died?" Max asked him. "Why?"

"I don't know…she did a lot of terrible things that I'll can't explain. I know she wanted to hurt your Mom, and she knew what would hurt her the most would be losing you. But...she'll never be able to hurt us again."

"Can I see Mum?"

Dimitri nodded, "Of course…we'll have her come her, as soon as possible. We'll call her right now. I might have to talk to her first so she doesn't have a heart attack..."

Max bit his lips, "Really?"

"Yeah, really." Dimitri grinned as he stood up, kissing Max on on the forehead. "This is so incredible…Max. I come here looking for answers and I find you."

Max could barely contain his excitement. He looked over at to Robin. "Robin! Did you hear, my Mum's going to come here!"

Robin wiped away her own tears, "I heard. That's fantastic, sweetie."

"You'll like her. She's a doctor like you."

"You did tell me that, didn't you?" She took a deep breath. "Your wife doesn't happen to be a neurologist, does she, Dimitri?"

Dimitri nodded, "Yes, why?"

"He told me that, you know. He told me so much and I didn't believe any of it."

Robin felt like crying again, but this time she bit back her tears. She didn't want them to see her crying. To diminish their happiness. "I think you two have a lot to catch up on, why don't I leave you alone for a bit?"

But Dimitri moved to stop her, "Robin, wait. I haven't been completely honest with you…there's something I need to tell you."

"I don't think I can take any more revelations today…"

"I know this has been...incredibly difficult for you. But there is something else that you _have_ to know."

Robin looked at him not sure what to expect.

"Robin," Dimitri asked her gently, "When you were on the Marick Diamond Website, did you happen to see a photo of my wife?"


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter XLIV**

_Muri di vento  
Notte e scesa  
Padre e figlio sono  
Insiem _

_Walls of wind  
Night has fallen  
Father and son are  
Together _

_Churchill Intercontinental Hotel, London, England_

For Alex, the night was taking a turn for the worse.

She had moments of lucidity, moments when the physician in her was acutely aware of what was happening. Moments during which she realized that her body was reacting to whatever drugs the man had given her and making her feel absolutely miserable in the process. Her stomach was cramping, her head was pounding and her temperature was skyrocketing. She couldn't remember last having felt as terrible as she did tonight. She wanted to throw up, but couldn't. She wanted to kill the man who did this to her, but she couldn't muster the energy. She wished she could find a way to lessen her discomfort, but she knew there was nothing to do but endure it.

Then there were other moments, where she lost all sense of time and place. Moments when she didn't know anymore where she was or how she got here. When she saw things that made no sense and terrified her all at once. She saw giant spiders crawling up the wall and onto her arms. She saw her mother laughing. And then she saw a bird swoop down its talons ready to claw out her eyes. Then she saw Max, dead and cold, lying inside a hole in the ground. All her worst fears manifested themselves, making her want to crawl out of her skin.

Cesar Faison watched her as she covered her face in terror. Her temperature had skyrocketed and she had been delirious for the past hour. Jan had suggested that the drug they'd given her had either been laced with hallucinogenics or that she was going through a severe allergic reaction. Or both.

"If that's the case, we have to take her to a hospital…" Faison still felt responsible for Anna's death. The last thing he wanted was to harm her sister.

Jan tried to assuage his fears, "She's tripping, that's all. It looks worse than it is. She's seeing things, manifesting her fears. I think we should wait it out. There's no way we can take her to a clinic or a hospital like this without being asked a million questions."

"I can't get her fever down, Jan…I'm not a doctor and I don't know what we should be doing for her."

"We're doing everything we can for her. The cold compresses should work…give it a bit of time."

Faison lifted a towel from her forehead; only minutes after he placed it there, ice cold, it was now luke-warm to touch. He looked at his watch, "One hour…if she's not better in one hour, we take her to a hospital. No matter what the consequences for us." He gave Jan a disgusted glance, "And I want the person who sold that drug to you killed. Is that understood? Not maimed, injured or harmed. _Killed."_

"No problems, boss. Consider it done." He threw Faison a bottle of aspirin. "Why don't you see if you can crush some tablets and get her to swallow them? Maybe it'll help bring down her fever."

Faison eyed the container, "More drugs…I don't know if that's the best thing."

"I didn't suggest you shoot her up with heroin. It's aspirin. You have to get her well enough to travel, and soon."

Faison observed, hating that he was powerless to do anything. He took both of her hands and cupped them in his, "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to do this...you have to know that."

Her eyes were glazed, "Dimitri?"

"Yes," Faison nodded. "I'm here and you're going to be fine." Whatever it took to make her feel safe.

"I'm so scared…" She clutched his hand so tightly it hurt. "I don't know what's happening to me…please help me."

"I going to help you, but you have to do something for me." Faison hated that the only reason she held on to him was because she thought he was someone else. He crushed three aspirin tablets and poured them into a glass of water, that he held up to her lips as he helped her sit up. "Drink this," he told her.

She shook her head, as if suddenly realizing who he was.

"Please," Faison pleaded. "It will help you."

Jan observed them both and Faison gave him a frustrated glance, "She's not going to drink this."

"What would her husband do to make her drink it?"

"How should I know?"

Jan raised his eyebrows, "Think!"

"If I were Dimitri I'd take her to a hospital!" Faison shot back.

"Well, aside from that."

Faison tried again, "Come on, darling, you trust me don't you?"

She was disoriented again, as if doubting what she was seeing, "Yes I trust…only you."

Faison took a sip of the water, "It's fine, Alexandra. I wouldn't give you anything that I wouldn't drink myself." He couldn't last remember speaking to anyone so gently, with such tenderness.

Alex finally took a sip. Faison held her tightly as she did, shocked that his tactic had worked. "That's good…a little more." He was amazed with himself as he watched her drink half the glass, before he helped her lie back down.

Jan looked at his watch again. "An hour…let's give her an hour to come out of it. Then we have to leave."

_Paris, France_

Robin wondered why Dimitri would ask her that question.

"No, I didn't see a picture of your wife on your website...why?"

Dimitri moved to where his jacket lay and reached into his wallet, pulling out a photograph.

"There's no easy way for me to explain this. I'm going to show a photo of Alex, my wife and Max's mom. It's..." He smiled, "One of my favourites, I took it just after they went riding at Wildwind. It was such a beautiful day."

Dimitri handed her the photograph, and Robin's eye first went to Max, whose arms were draped over a woman who was smiling.

A woman who looked _exactly_ like her mother.

Robin gasped. It wasn't just a woman who looked exactly like her mother did before she died, but how she _would_ look today had she lived.

Robin looked at Dimitri, hurt, confused and angry all at once. "What kind of sick joke is this? My mother is dead…"

"Alex is not your mother, Robin," Dimitri told her gently.

"Then how do you explain _this_?" Robin held up the photograph and shot him an accusatory glare. "This woman doesn't just resemble my mom. This _is_ my mom!" Looking at the photo made her feel like she was losing her mind.

"Your mother was a twin," Dimitri explained, his voice as calm as hers was upset. "She never knew and my wife only found out after your mother had already died."

"That's not possible…"

"I know it sounds crazy…"

"_How_? Tell me _how_ is it possible?" Robin didn't know what to say or think or feel. A torrent or emotions were welling up inside her. _Max's mother was her aunt?_

"It began with a woman named Charlotte Devane," Dimitri explained as he urged her to sit down. "Charlotte Devane was was married to your biological grandfather's brother. She couldn't have children of her own but she needed an heir to carry on the legacy of the organization she had created. When her husband's sister-in law was expecting twins, she stole one of them, leaving the mother to believe that one of the girls was still born. There were two girls, Alexandra and Anna. Your mother stayed with her parents, whom you know she lost at a young age. Because her parents died, Anna went to live with relatives in Canada, whereas my wife, Alex, was raised by her uncle and his wife, Charlotte Devane. Neither girl knew the other existed. It's a long story cut short, Robin. I think Alex should be the one to tell you all of it."

Robin wiped a tear, as she stared at the picture. She ran her fingers over it, overwhelmed at the woman's likeness to her mother. Overwhelmed by how much she missed her just now. 'I could really use you today, Mom,' she realized, unable to take her eyes off the photo.

"I should have told you that that's how I knew you. I never knew your mother. I found out about you when my wife and I dug into her past. When we discovered that she had a twin sister, who in turn had a daughter who lived and studied in Paris."

"So you knew about me for a long time and yet you never contacted me. Why?"

"A lot of unforeseeable things happened between the time we found out about you and now," Dimitri told her, as if searching for words. "Things that I'd rather have Alex tell you."

"Max's mother is my aunt…not just my aunt, but my Mom's identical twin?" Robin shook her head in disbelief. "That's a lot to swallow in one day, Dimitri."

She thought back to how many times Max had looked at the picture of her parents and insisted Anna was his mother. "And yet, Max told me, so many times." Robin pointed to a photo of her parents; "He took a picture of my parents into his room because he said it was a picture of _his_ mom." She offered Dimitri a reluctant smile, "How could I ever have imagined _that_?"

Dimitri put an arm around her. "You couldn't possibly…but the fact that you found him, or that he found _you_, of all people, in a city of eight million. That's no small miracle, Robin."

Robin observed Max sitting on the sofa, listening to them both. How many times had she marvelled at his resemblance to her mother? _But how in the word could she ever have imagined this?_

She wanted to meet this Alexandra Marick. A woman who wasn't just Max's mother and her aunt, but a mirror image of her mother.

She smiled a lop-sided smile, "I almost feel as though my mom might have had a hand in this. In sending Max in my direction..."

Dimitri's expression didn't mock her like she expected. Instead he looked serious, "I don't think people leave us after they die, Robin. Certain connections are too strong to ever be broken. I also believe love can be powerful enough to transcend time, space...even death."

Robin managed a chuckle, "I can just see her smiling from somewhere..."

"Robin, will you come to London with Max and I?"

Robin looked at Max, who was eyeing her with anticipation. She nodded slowly, "Yeah...yeah, of course I'll come with you. Have you called your wife yet?"

Dimitri glanced at his watch. "I have..but she hasn't answered." He looked at her computer, "Could we get the number of the hospital off the Internet? I don't have it with me. That way I could call her there."

"Sure..." Robin sat down next to her computer, grateful to be doing something, _anything_, that could take her mind off the thousand thoughts that were racing through her head.

She found the phone number within seconds and gave it to Dimitri, who called it from his cell phone. Robin watched his expression change while on the phone.

The lines around his eyes creased into a frown. "What do you mean 'missing'?"

He seemed to be speaking to two different people, "Someone just told me my wife is missing. What was he talking about?"

Robin could hear the panic in Dimitri's voice now. "No, no, she's not with me. The man you say she left with, can you...describe him to me?"

"Accent, grey-shoulder length hair..." Dimitri repeated the words aloud. He kept re-iterating that he didn't know where Alex was. To inform him of any news right away, before ending the call, distraught.

"Dimitri, what's wrong?"

"They said someone came to see Alex at the hospital. That she left with him and didn't come back."

"The description they gave you, it sounds like..."

"Like who?" Dimitri demanded.

"I mean, it can't be but..."

"Robin, tell me who you think it _can't_ be."

"It's not possible, Dimitri…it sounds like him, but it's just not possible. He died on the boat with my parents. Faison is _dead_." In spite of what Dimitri had told her earlier, she still couldn't bring herself to accept the possibility that he wasn't.

Dimitri looked as though someone had punched him in the gut and knocked the wind out of him. "The doctor I spoke to gave me a name, Robin. Gerard Caisson."

Robin repeated it, her eyes widening in fear. "Gerard Caisson. Cesar Faison...do you really think?"

Dimitri had to sit down too now and he held on to Max. "God, I hope not...".

"Dad, what's wrong?" Max's voice brought him back to the present, forcing him to think.

"We have to go to London…" Dimitri stared at Robin. "We have to get to London right away."


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter XLV**

_Ma ad un tratto  
Il bimbo trema  
Dalla Paura  
Freddo si fa _

_But suddenly  
The boy trembles  
With Fear  
It gets cold _

_En route to London, England_

"Why is Dad angry?" Max asked Robin, in a whisper. He was sitting on her lap, near the rear of his father's jet. He had been watching Dimitri pace the small interior of the plane, cordless phone in his hand, as he spoke to his Director of Security.

Robin ran her hand through Max's hair, "He's not angry, Max. He's just...worried."

"About what?"

Robin bit her lip, wishing she could take back what she just said. "Just about things…Max."

"Isn't he glad that we're going to see Mum?"

"Sure he is…he's very excited," Robin tried, knowing Max wasn't buying any of it.

"Robin, tell me what's going on. Something's wrong."

'How am I supposed to tell you your mother's been taken by the same man that killed mine?' she thought. 'After you've only just found out that she's alive.' Robin looked at his imploring eyes, deciding it was better to have him upset with her than tell him the awful truth. "I can't tell you, Max. Not right now. If your Dad's still upset when you wake up tomorrow morning, I'll tell you."

"Ah…Robin. Come on."

She shook her head with finality. "No, Max. Not tonight." She got up and made him walk to the rear of the plane, where she'd seen a fold-up bed. "It's almost one in the morning. You're tired. I want you to try and sleep for a bit before we land."

"I'm not tired," he protested.

"Yes, you are." She helped him take off his shoes and gave him a gentle push onto the bed. "You don't even have to brush your teeth or change your clothes tonight, Max. Just close your eyes for me and try to sleep a bit, okay?"

"But I don't want to, Robin."

"Try, Max. If you can't, then keep your eyes open and think of the things you're going to tell your mom tomorrow. You've got so much to tell her."

Max gave her a grin as he pulled the blanket up to his chin, "I'll tell her about _you._"

Robin smiled. "You do that. But don't tell her I let you eat ice cream before your dinner sometimes, okay?"

He reached up to kiss her, "Okay...if you don't tell her I broke Monsieur Renal's window."

She bent down to return his kiss, "Deal."

Robin pulled the curtain around his bed and sat down next to him. They would be in London in less than an hour. 'Is this going to be the last time I tuck you in at night?'

She was certain her heart had never felt as heavy. Since stepping on the plane, knowing they were en route to London, to his mother, she had made a concerted effort to stop thinking of him as her son. 'I haven't lost a son, I've gained a family…an aunt and a cousin I didn't know existed, ' she reminded herself. Yet, as soon as Max had climbed onto her lap, she knew that her efforts were pointless. 'It's going to take a lot more than a day to stop thinking of him as my baby.'

She yawned as she glanced at her watch, frowning when she realized she'd fallen behind her protocol schedule. She reached for her purse and grabbed a bottle of Evian from the plane's mini-bar. After swallowing her pills, she made her way back to the front of the plane where Dimitri had just ended another phone conversation.

"I put Max to bed," Robin told him. "Although I'm not sure he's going to sleep."

Dimitri looked at her as though she'd interrupted his thoughts, "Thank you…" he said softly. "For taking care of him."

"You don't have to thank me. Not for that."

Dimitri said nothing, his eyes letting her know he was gratefull nonethelss.

"Have you made any progress in finding her?" Robin asked him.

"My team of investigators are on their way to London as we speak, they're phoning hotels in London, asking for a host of different aliases, in the event that he's still in the city with her…they've also contacted the police, but there isn't much they can do for another 24 hours…"

Robin listened as his voice trailed off, "You're scared. I know. You remind me so much of my dad, before he went to look for my mom."

Dimitri cupped his face in his hands, "I _am_ scared, Robin. He could have taken her anywhere in Europe by now. It's been over eight hours."

Robin watched him struggle to remain composed. "You're going to find her, I know you will." Robin wasn't sure how much conviction her voice held. History was repeating itself and it left her terrified. 'First my mom, now Max's mother…how much pain can one man inflict?'

"You know the last words she said to me this morning were, 'I love you,' just before she walked out the door. Isn't that how it is in the movies, Robin? Aren't those are always everyone's last words?"

"Dimitri, don't..."

"I didn't even have a chance to say it back to her," he went on, lost in the memory. "My mouth was full, and I didn't say anything…I wish I could go back, Robin. For that one moment in time. To tell her."

Robin put a hand on his shoulder, "She knows, Dimitri. I'm absolutely certain… you didn't have to tell her."

He wiped away a tear, embarassed by the momentary loss of control. "I don't know, Robin. After Max...we went through a really hard time, it wasn't until yesterday that... " He stopped himself, realizing he was rambling.

"Tell her again when we find her. But she knows you love her. Don't tell yourself she doesn't."

"Just this morning she wasn't sure whether I'd leave her..." He said the words so softly, Robin barely heard them and she wasn't sure she was meant to.

"If Faison took Alex because she's a mirror image of my mother, you can be assured that he won't harm her," Robin tried to reassure him. "He was fixated by my mother."

"In the end Cesar Faison _did_ kill your mother, didn't he? He killed both your parents."

Robin swallowed, "He killed only her because he finally realized my mother would never love him and that my father would never give up on her. If he thinks he stands a chance with Alex, he won't harm her."

"I pray to God you're right, Robin."

"I _am_ right. I know I am."

He looked at Robin as if seeing her for the first time since stepping on to the plane, "You look exhausted, Robin. Why don't you join Max and get some sleep. It'll be almost an hour before we reach London. Once we're there I'll arrange for a hotel room for you and Max. Or if you prefer, you can stay in Alex's flat."

"That's fine," Robin told him. She wanted to protest and help Dimitri in his search, if only to make up for having felt so utterly helpless all those years ago when her father went to search for her mother. However, things were different now, she wasn't alone anymore. There was Max to think about.

_Later_

Robin watched Dimitri carry his sleeping son out of the plane. He did it so gently, Max barely stirred in his sleep. She noticed a black sedan waiting for them at the private airfield they had landed at, just outside of London.

Dimitri placed his son inside the car, again careful not to wake him in the process.

'That's where you have your gentleness from,' Robin realized, 'From your father.'

Once she too was inside the car, Dimitri handed Robin a set of keys, "These are the keys to Alex's apartment. Will you stay there until I call you?"

"Alright, but how can I reach you?"

"I'll call you."

Robin hated that she had lost control of her life so suddenly, yet at the same time she trusted this man, even though she'd known him less than a day. But more than that, she admired his grace under pressure. He had fought back his earlier fear and by all outward appearances he seemd calm and in-control. Because he had to be. There was no other choice.

Not that Robin didn't know better than to let appearances fool her. "Will you be careful too? Please, for Max? You just came back into his life."

Dimitri nodded, saying nothing as he closed the door of the sedan after instructing the driver where to take them.

Robin stared out the window as the car drove away with her and Max, seeing Dimitri standing in the drifting fog of the airstrip. His silhouette was illuminated by the runway lights in the darkness of the night.

_Outside_

As soon as Robin was gone, Dimitri opened his cell phone and called Shawn O'Malley.

"Any luck?"

"We're calling every hotel, motel and bed and breakfast in London. Needless to say, it's taking us a while. We found one Faison, two Caissons and seven Kriegs, none of whom is the one we're looking for. Krieg, it seems, is a common German name, Mr. Marick."

"I know, Shawn, translated into English it means 'war.'"

O'Malley raised his eyebrows, "War?"

"If that's what this Faison wants he can have it."

O'Malley paused, "Wait a minute…One of my men thinks he might have something. He called the Churchill Intercontinental. There was a Krieg registered and he reacted very differently than the others."

"What do you mean?"

"We've been calling the hotel guests with those names, letting them know they're the recipients of a complimentary bottle of wine, from the hotel, and asking them whether they prefer red or white. This is the first person we spoke to that refused the offer, letting us know in no uncertain terms he doesn't wish to be disturbed."

"Do you think it could be him?" Dimitri's heart skipped a beat.

"I don't know. We have to be very careful. If it is him we don't want to spook him. We're going to contact the hotel's security office to see if we can find out more about this guy."

"What do you want me to do in the meantime?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. We're going to land in London in less than three hours, let me take care of this, Mr. Marick. We know this man is capable of murder. We don't want to take any risks that will jeopardize your wife's life."

'Her life is already in jeopardy,' Dimitri thought. "Fine. Let me know as soon as you know more."

"Of course, sir."

Dimitri ended the call and walked towards the second car that was waiting on the tarmac, another black sedan that he had arranged for himself. He got in and made eye contact with the driver, "I need you to take me to the Churchill Intercontinental Hotel, as quickly as possible."

"Yes, sir."

_Churchill Intercontinental Hotel, London_

"That was the strangest call," Jan told Faison, as he bit into a cold slice of pizza he had gone to pick up from a local 24 hour fast food outlet next to the hotel. It consisted mostly of crust, topped with a thin layer of tomato sauce and sprinkles of cheap cheese. "Someone from the hotel offered us a complimentary bottle of wine."

"That _is_ odd." Faison rubbed his chin, feeling the prickly growth of stubble start to form along it. "I want you to call a manager and verify that this call really came from the hotel."

"I don't think there's any reason to be suspicious about it. They weren't pushy when I declined them."

"Just do it!"

He listened to Jan make the call as he observed Alex lying next to him on the bed. He wasn't sure anymore whether she was unconscious or merely asleep. Her fever seemed to have broken and it frightened Faison how still she now was. Her breathing was so shallow; he checked her pulse every few minutes. He had wanted to risk bringing in the hotel's on-call doctor but Jan had persuaded him otherwise. "What if he insists you take her to a hospital? What then?" And Faison had to admit Jan was right, they couldn't risk it. 'This wasn't supposed to happen like this,' he repeated in his mind. He saw Jan hang up the phone. "Well?"

"The duty manager said she's not aware of any hotel department offering complimentary wine or of any promotions."

"So what was that call about?"

"Maybe someone was playing a prank," Jan suggested. "Another guest?"

Faison stared at him, "I don't like this. We have to get out of here, Jan. Get our car from the valet parking and call me when you're at the delivery entrance at the rear."

Jan glanced towards Alex, "What about her?"

"I'll carry her down the stairs so no one sees us. I have a bad feeling about this phone call. Someone is on to us."

_Alex's flat_

Robin had to wake Max to take him up to Alex's apartment, as he'd gotten too big for her to carry. He staggered along the hallway and barely uttered a word as she made him lie down in Alex's bed. He was too sleepy to notice where they were and fell back asleep within minutes.

'I wish sleep came to me as easily,' she thought reclining on the love seat that was in the small living room outside. She was completely exhausted, more so than if she had worked twenty-four hours straight at the hospital. The day's revelations had left her drained, yet it was an exhaustion mixed with lingering adrenaline, making it impossible for her to sleep. She turned on a table lamp and examined her surroundings.

Save for a wedding photograph and a small, framed picture of a smiling Max, there were no photos in the apartment. Everything was neat and uncluttered. It wasn't the spotless neatness of someone who took pride in keeping their home clean but the unlived-in neatness of someone who didn't spend much time at home.

Robin allowed herself a smile. "Your sister's a lot less messy than you, Mom."

She spotted a couple of dog-eared medical journals on the coffee table. Robin picked one up and leafed through it, noticing little handwritten notes in the margins. 'But your handwriting was a lot neater,' she conceded when she tried, but couldn't, read Alex's messy scrawl. Seeing her handwriting suddenly made Robin even more anxious to meet this woman. 'Max's mother and a dead ringer for my own mom…it will be so strange to meet you.'

She turned off the lamp and sunk back into the love seat trying not to think about it.

Trying not to think about anything.

_Churchill Intercontinental Hotel_

Dimitri made his way across the empty hotel lobby towards the front desk.

It was almost three in the morning.

A tall, very pregnant woman stood behind the counter.

"Good evening, sir. How may I help you?"

Dimitri's eyes lit up when he detected an obvious Hungarian accent. He managed a smile. "I need to know someone's room number," he told her, in Hungarian.

The woman returned his smile, happy to use her native tongue, "I'm sorry sir but we cannot give out room numbers. You may use the house phones and contact the person by last name. He or she can then give you the room number."

Dimitri had a wad of bills ready in his pocket to bribe whomever he needed to bribe to get a room number, but somehow it didn't feel right to offer money to this woman. It would have felt like an insult. Instead, he pleaded with her, "Please, I _need_ to know the room number."

"I'm sorry, sir…but I can't…"

"I know it goes against the rules, but I think my wife might be in trouble," he said softly, still in Hunagarian. "I have to go to that room without alarming the person inside. Feel free to call hotel security once I'm up there, in fact, I may need their help."

Dimitri saw the doubt in her eyes, "What is the name of the person you're looking for?" she whispered back.

"Krieg."

She looked him up in and glanced back at Dimitri. "Room 1214. Take the main elevators, down the lobby on your right."

_"Thank you."_

He took a deep breath as he stepped into the elevator. 'What now?' he asked himself. 'He's probably armed, with an accomplice or two, and I don't even have a plan.'

When he got off on the twelfth floor Dimitri picked up the nearest house phone he saw, letting it ring until a switchboard operator picked it up.

"I need a security officer to meet me outside Room 1214," he told the man who answered.

"What is the reason, sir?"

"Just get him up here."

Dimitri hung up the phone and made his way towards the room.

He pressed an ear against the door, listening for any sounds of conversation and, after hearing nothing but silence, he decided to knock. There was still no sound coming from the other side. He knocked again, louder this time.

'Damn it...please don't make me be too late...' He glanced down the hallway, unsure of what to do next. He saw the red 'Exit' sign in the distance and made his way towards it, opening the door of the stairwell. He heard footsteps down below. They sounded heavy. The kind of footsteps a large, overweight man would make.

_Or a man who's carrying something heavy._

He leaning over the railing to look down below and saw not one figure but two, and then suddenly he caught a glimpse of Alex.

At the same time two hotel security guards came up from the stairwell at the other end of the corridor and Dimitri motioned for them to come towards him, "Here! Quick!"

Dimitri raced down the staircase to catch up to the man below, taking two steps at a time.

"Stop! It's over!" Dimitri yelled down the stairwell, "The police are right behind me!"

Dimitri caught up to him and as he did Cesar Faison stopped dead in his tracks and turned around to meet Dimitri's wild stare. Alex was unconscious in his arms.

"Let her go right now!"

Faison set Alex down and reached into his jacket pocket to pull out a handgun.

"Don't come any closer," he threatened, eyes wide with fury. "Step back until I get away rom her. If you don't I'll kill you." He waved his gun at Alex, "And her."

Dimitri was repulsed by him and every cell in his body wanted to lunge at the man. But instead he held his arms up in surrender. "There's security guards right behind me. I suggest you get _away from her_!"

Faison did just that as he dashed down the stairs, still aiming his gun at Dimitri as long as he was in view.

Dimitri wanted to race after him. To hurt and maim him. But at the same time he couldn't take his eyes off Alex, lying on the floor of the stairwell.

He kneeled down next to her, just as the two security guards caught up to him. "Get him!" Dimitri yelled at them, "Don't let him get away!"

The one in charge nodded to the other and together they ran down the stairs after Cesar Faison.

Dimitri cradled Alex in his arms, frightened at how still and pale she was. He checked for a pulse and when he couldn't find one, he thought his own heart would stop beating.

"Come on, darling. Don't give up on me...not now. Especially not now."


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter XLVI**

_Con un cavallo  
Vanno avanti  
In questa grande  
Oscurita _

_With a horse  
They progress  
Through this immense  
Darkness _

_Churchill Intercontinental Hotel, London, England_

"Is she going to be alright?" Dimitri asked once more, as he watched the hotel's on-call physician examine Alex. Even now, she was so lethargic, it frightened him.

The doctor removed his glasses and got up, frowning. "Cases like your wife's are nothing unusual. I've seen many before," he told him. "Too many of them, frankly."

"I'm sorry?"

"Mister…?"

Dimitri looked at the doctor's scowling face. "Marick."

" Mister...Marick. I suggest you get your wife the help she needs. She may not be so lucky next time she comes close to overdosing. Also, judging from the fever she had, she had a reaction to one of the drugs she took."

"Excuse me? She didn't _take_..." Then he bit his tongue and tried to ignore the doctor's sanctimonious tone of voice. "Will she be alright, is what I'm asking."

"Her pulse is strong and her resting heart rate is stable now."

Dimitri allowed himself a sigh of relief. "What should I do when she wakes up?"

"She's going to feel awful when she wakes up. The low after this kind of hit can be particularly rough, but I'm sure you already know that. Follow the usual drill. Give her lots of water to drink and make sure she eats something."

Dimitri stared at the doctor in disbelief, unable to keep his anger in check any longer. "Listen," he hissed. "I let the first remark slip, because I'm too concerned about her to argue with you. But if you keep referring to my wife as a careless junkie, I _will _lose it. My wife is a doctor. She would never harm anyone, not herself, not _anyone_. So if you'll please just treat her and refrain from your snide remarks. Is that understood?"

The doctor was still non-plussed. "Unfortunately, I understand better than you could imagine, Mr. Marick." He paused. "If you think your denial is going to solve her addictions, you're gravely mistaken."

Dimitri's face reddened, "I think you're done here. Please leave."

He thought he saw a trace of fear in the man's eyes as he made his way out the door. "Good day, Mr. Marick."

"Good riddance," he mumbled. The noise of the door closing woke Alex.

"Dimitri?"

Dimitri sat down on the bed next to her, unable to remember when he'd last been as relieved to hear the sound of her voice. "Hey sweetheart…" He ran his hand along her face, wishing he could erase the last few hours from her life. "How are you feeling?"

She gave him a bewildered look, "Where are we? What happened?"

"Cesar Faison. He brought you here and drugged you. You had a reaction to the drugs."

"Cesar Faison? The man who killed Anna?"

Dimitri nodded.

"Why?"

"I don't know...because you're a dead ringer for the love of his life?"

She looked confused and close to tears, "I thought I was losing my mind, Dimitri…I saw things…_terrible_ things."

Dimitri laid down next to her, draping a protective arm over her. "It's over now. Whatever you felt it wasn't real. It was the drugs."

"I feel so scared, Dimitri."

"I won't let anything happen to you," he said softly. "Close your eyes and sleep. I'm going to be right here when you wake up. And when you do, I've got the most incredible surprise for you."

She held on to his hand, so tightly it hurt, "Promise me you won't leave?"

"Promise." He kissed her forehead, closing his own eyes as he did.

_Later_

Dimitri had underestimated his own need for sleep.

When when he woke up, it was almost seven hours later. He was still holding on to Alex and his arm had fallen asleep. A thousand needles jabbed it as he removed it from his sleeping wife.

The room they were in was the same one Faison had taken her to. As Dimitri got up, he noticed a half empty pizza container on the table. There were wet towels lying on the floor and a bottle of aspirin stood, opened, on the bedside stand. He stretched himself as he got up to cover Alex with another blanket.

As he walked towards the bathroom, a glimmer of stainless steel caught his eye in the waste bin. He bent down to get a closer look, recognizing Alex's Omega watch. He scooped it out of the waste bin and saw that the glass casing was shattered and that the watch hands had stopped ticking. He bit his lip in anger, shaking his head and running his fingers over it, before slipping it into his pocket.

"Dimitri?"

Alex had woken up with his movement, and sat up, still unsure of her surroundings.

Dimitri sat down next to her and gave her a gentle push back onto the bed. "Hey, it's okay. I'm here. You're alright. How are you feeling now?"

"I don't know..." she answered.

"Tell me what it is," he prompted.

"I don't know why I feel so…so afraid."

Dimitri shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. It's probably the drugs. They messed with you, and maybe it'll take a while to get it out of your system. But I'll be here with you until you do, however long it takes."

She squeezed his hand and sank bank onto the pillow.

Dimitri picked up the phone on the bedside table, "I'm going to order some breakfast. I want you to try and eat something."

Alex groaned. "I don't think so." She pressed a hand against her forehead. "I've got the worst headache and my stomach is..." she cringed, "Not good. No food, okay?"

Dimitri frowned, hating the toll this latest hit had taken on her health. "I know food is the last thing you want, but the doctor said it's important." 'I didn't even tell him you're anemic,' he thought in hinsight. He wanted so much for her to see Max. 'I'm not a patient man, I want to shout it out that he's alive. I want you to see him. But not like this.'

He suddenly remembered his conversation with Robin on the jet.

'_I wish I could go back for that one moment in time so I could tell her.'_

"I love you."

Alex gave him a lop-sided smile, "I know…I know you do. I didn't even ask you how you got here. How did you find me? God, I have no idea how I got here"

He kissed the palm of her hand, "Don't think about it. Just know I love you."

_Later_

After he managed to get her to eat a piece of toast, Dimitri watched as Alex fell into an exhausted sleep once more.

Seeing her asleep, he walked outside, into the hallway to call Robin.

"Good morning, Robin. How are you and Max?"

"Dimitri, I'm so glad you called! Max just woke up. He's asking about his mom, I'm not sure what to tell him."

"Tell him she can't wait to see him, and that we wish we were there with him right now."

"What do you mean? I won't lie to him, Dimitri..."

"It's the truth…I found Alex last night, thanks to a tip from my investigative team. Faison was about to leave with her. He was staying at the Churchill Intercontinental, near Portman Square. Where we are now."

"Oh, that's incredible news…that's fantastic." There was a pause at the other end, "Have they... caught Faison?"

Dimitri cringed hating the answer he had for her. "I'm sorry. He got away, Robin. Two hotel security guards went after him but they couldn't catch him. He had a car waiting for him. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry," she managed in reply. " You found your wife, you found Max's mom, that's what matters. How is she?"

"She could be better. Faison drugged her with god knows what and I'm bit worried. She's anemic and the hotel doctor who examined her last night, well, he wasn't much help. He thought she was a junkie and I told him to get lost. I'd like to ask you a favour, Robin. Will you have a look at her? As a doctor?"

There was another, longer, pause, and Dimitri thought he could hear her taking a deep breath, "Of course. I'll be there with Max."

"Thank you. I know this isn't easy for you. I'll never forget what you've done for me. For us."

"Stop thanking me. We're family now, right?"

"Right," the words made Dimitri smile. "We _are_ a family now."

"Good. I'll see you soon then."

_Two hours later_

Max kept tugging at the sleeves of her jacket on the way up to the twelfth floor. It wasn't helping her already frazzled nerves. "If you keep it up, you're going to take the sleeves off my jacket."

They had made a stop at St. Bartholomew's on the way here, where Dimitri suggested she see a Dr. Sanjay Singh, in order to get the fully equipped medical bag she was now holding in her hands.

"You still haven't told me where we're going."

"I told you we're going to see your Dad, didn't I?"

"But what about Mum? Doesn't she want to see me anymore?" His pout was both sullen and fearful and it made Robin want to hug him.

She grinned, wondering if she'd ever stop wanting to scoop him up in her arms. 'Poor future girlfriends. They'll never be able to stay angry at you for more than a day.' "Of course she wants to see you, even if you are a pain in the neck."

"Then why do I have to wait so long?"

"Because that's the way it is. Have you thought about what you're going to tell her, like I told you?"

"Yeah, that's _all_ I've been thinking. If I don't see her soon, I'll forget again."

Robin laughed, "No you won't." She spotted Dimitri standing outside of the hotel room, waiting for them. Max ran towards him and giggled when he hoisted him up into a bear hug. The sight reminded her, that in spite of the heartbreak, she'd done the right thing.

"Morning, Dimitri."

Dimitri bent down to give her a kiss on the cheek, "Morning, Robin. How are you holding up?"

Robin gave him a smile. He didn't have to know just how much it all hurt. "I'm good."

"Thank you again, for doing this for me."

"Didn't I tell you to stop thanking me?"

Dimitri grinned, "I can't help it."

He handed her the key to the hotel room, whispering so Max wouldn't hear him. "I told her I had arranged for a doctor to come and see her." He gave her an apologetic grin. "Of course she hated the idea. I didn't tell her anything else though. If she knew about Max she'd want to see him right away."

Robin raised her eyebrows, "I guess it's my turn for revelations."

Dimitri took Max by the hand; "We're going to go for a little walk, while Robin takes care of some business, okay?"

Max gave him a sceptical look, "Back downstairs _again_?"

"That's right."

"What about Mum? Am I _ever_ going to see her?"

Dimitri smiled, "Soon."

Robin watched them walk towards the elevators. Once they were out of view, she knocked on the door before entering the hotel room. She took a deep breath as she steeled herself for what she was about to see. _Who_ she was about to see. 'It's not _her_. Remember that, Robin,' a voice in her head reminded her.

She expected Alex to be asleep or at least in bed, but instead she sat in a sofa chair, leaning against the headrest, wearing only a white, hotel bathrobe. Her hair was slightly wet and she eyed Robin when she approached.

"You must be the doctor my husband called."

"I…uh, yes, yes, I am."

As much as she had tried to prepare herself for this moment, seeing Alex in person rattled her. She looked so eerily similar to her mother that Robin couldn't help but stare. Absolutely everything, from her facial features to the timbre of her voice when she spoke; _everything_ was identical to her mother.

Seeing her sitting in front of her, brought back such a longing for her mother, it made Robin shiver.

_It's not her_, the voice repeated more forcefully, this time. 'You can do this, ' she told herself.

"My name is…Doctor Soltini."

Alex gave her a lopsided, bashful smile. _Max's smile_, "I was going to change back into my clothes, but after taking a shower, I didn't have much energy left."

Robin offered her a smile in return. "Why don't you lie back down, and let me have a look at you?"

"I'm fine, now, really, Dr. Soltini. Whatever effects the drugs had, they seemed to have run their course. I really don't need you to do this."

Robin held out her hand, still smiling. 'You're just as stubborn as Mom,' she thought. "I do believe you, but your husband was adamant, and I promised him. He said also said you were unconscious for a period of time. As a physician yourself, I'm sure you know that's not something to take lightly."

Alex sighed, "Dimitri exaggerates. He's overprotective."

_Just like my Dad was._

Robin offered her an outstretched hand, which Alex refused at first but after a couple of unsteady steps reluctantly held on to. Robin had to hide a smile.

"I want to check your heart rate, blood pressure…you know, the usual. And I'd like to take a blood sample. Dimitri mentioned you're anemic."

"You have an American accent," Alex pointed out.

Robin nodded, as she held her stethoscope against Alex's chest. "I am American, yes."

"Where from?"

'Nosy,' she thought, 'Just like Mom.' "New York State. Will you take a deep breath for me?"

Alex obliged. "How long have you been in London?"

Robin raised her eyebrows, stifling another smile. "Not long." Robin pushed Alex's bathrobe aside as she moved her stethoscope further down her chest, her eyes widening as she saw a series of scars. She caught Alex's cheeks flushing red when she saw Robin's reaction.

Robin's eyes met Alex's in silence. She wanted to ask how she got them, but at the same time she couldn't. Alex offered her no information as Robin measured her blood pressure.

Robin gave her a gentle smile, "It's looking good. Blood pressure and heart rate are both good. Your temperature's normal."

"I'll live then?"

Robin smirked, "Yeah, you'll live." _And there's a little boy who's going to be so grateful for that fact_. "How do you feel?"

Alex gave her another lop-sided smile, "Like I've got the worst hangover in the world."

Robin chuckled, feeling suddenly at ease with her, "I bet. Considering everything that happened, I think you're doing better than expected. I also think you're safe to take something for your headache. I'll draw some blood now and then we're done."

Alex eyed her with suspicion this time, "What do you mean, 'everything that happened.'? What exactly did my husband tell you?"

"Will you hold out your arm for me, please?"

"You didn't answer my question. What did he tell you?"

Her persistence reminded Robin of her mother and it made her smile, "I'll tell you, if you let me take some blood."

Alex gave her a frustrated glance, "Fine." She watched Robin closely, and at first she thought it was the doctor in her, observing what she was doing until she said softly. nt sadness in her eyes. "I know you from somewhere…" Alex told her.

Robin watched Alex trying to place her face and Robin wanted to shout out everything. "You're right, Alex. You do know me. My name isn't Soltini, it's Scorpio."

"What?" Alex stared at her, putting together the pieces. "Wait a minute…you're Robin! Anna's Robin...how in the world did Dimitri find you?"

"He came to see me in Paris yesterday."

"Dimitri went to see _you_? And you came back to London with him?"

"Yeah…I did. I wanted to see you…"

Alex reached out to touch Robin's face. Overwhelmed. "_I_ should have contacted you a long time ago. I'm sorry…I've only seen photos of you. You were much younger in them…you're so beautiful now."

Robin blushed at the unexpected compliment.

Alex couldn't take her eyes off Robin, just as she hadn't been able to stop staring at her when she first walked into the room. "You really are. I wish so much I could have had the chance to meet my sister. Oh god...there's so much I want to ask you about her…"

"I know the feeling," Robin nodded. "I have so many questions I want to ask you too." She too felt overwhelmed all of a sudden and the longing she felt for her mother when she first saw her was even stronger now.

Tears started to pool in her eyes. "You look _so_ much like my mother..."

"This must be so hard for you..." Alex started.

"I'm sorry, I feel..."

There was no hesitancy when Alex moved to put her arms around her, embracing her tightly, "Don't be."

The gesture unleashed a flood of tears and for an instant Robin felt very young again. Young. Loved. Protected.

_I miss you so much, Mom. _

For that one instant it didn't matter that it wasn't her. _For that one instant, she was._

Alex stroked her hair, just as her mother might have done. "It's okay..."

It was a long time, before Robin let go of her. Before she wiped away her tears and found the strength to speak again. "Thank you…thank you for that. You have no idea how much I needed that."

Alex helped her wipe away the tears. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

"I'm glad. Because there's something else I have to tell you."


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter XLVII**

_Muri di vento  
Notte e scesa  
Padre e figlio  
Sono insiem _

_Walls of wind  
Night has fallen  
Father and son are  
Together _

_Churchill Intercontinental Hotel, London, England_

Robin looked at Alex, contemplating how it was possible to put into words the things she had to say.

_How do you tell someone you've accidentally found their kidnapped child?_

"Alex...Dimitri came to see me in Paris before he knew you were missing."

Alex's eyebrows narrowed, "I don't understand. Why would he contact you without telling me?"

"He came to see me because one of his investigators told him that Cesar Faison might have had a part in your son's kidnapping. Faison killed my parents, so Dimitri came to see me to see if I could shed any light on Faison for him."

"But why wouldn't he tell me that?"

"He didn't want to get your hopes up in case the lead turned out to be nothing."

"So, after seeing you, he asked you to come to London with him?"

"It's more than that, Alex. Eight months ago, something happened that changed my life…"

Alex looked at her, puzzled, "What?"

In turn, Robin told her everything she had told Dimitri. About the sick, little boy that had made his way into the Emergency Room at St. Agathe. "All he told us was that his name was Max. That his parents had died. We filed a police report, but no one claimed him. So, he was placed in an orphanage…"

Robin watched the colour drain from Alex's face, "What are you saying, Robin?"

"Four months later, I adopted him. Your son, Max."

Alex shook her head in denial, "No Robin…that can't be. That's not possible."

"He's with Dimitri right now."

"I don't believe you…" Alex was visibly distraught. "Why would you say something like that? He _can't_ be with Dimitri! It's not possible."

Robin took Alex's hands into hers, "Alex…it's true. He's dying to see you."

"I want to see him," she demanded, tears tumbling down her cheeks. She stood up too quickly and Robin watched her stumble. She jumped up to put her arms around her aunt.

"You'll see him…but you've got to take it easy!"

"I don't want to wait Robin. I want to see him now, to hold him…" her voice choked with emotion.

Robin laughed, as she wiped away her own tears. "You will, but let me help you, okay?"

Alex looked at Robin, her eyes wet and beautiful and anxious all at once. "Please, let's hurry."

_Later_

Robin stood behind Alex, in front of the hotel room's only mirror.

"Do I look okay?"

Robin grinned, wondering how she could possibly ask that question. "You're beautiful." She helped brush her long, dark hair and that simple gesture gave her an odd sense of belonging. A feeling she hadn't felt in a long time.

Alex frowned when she looked in the mirror. Her clothes were the same skirt and blouse she had worn when Faison had brought her here, and they were messy and rumpled. "I wish I didn't look like this…"

"It's not going to matter to Max. You're the most beautiful person in the world for him."

Alex bit her lip as turned to Robin, " I'm so nervous…"

Robin set down the hairbrush and squeezed her shoulders. "Don't be."

Alex kept checking her wrist, forgetting that her watch was no longer there. "What time is it?" she asked Robin for the umpteenth time.

Robin grinned. "They should be here any minute."

No sooner had she finished her sentence, was there a knock on the door.

Alex held on to Robin as she stood up.

"Ready?"

Alex nodded, her eyes brimming with tears again. Robin opened the door and saw Dimitri first, smiling at Alex, and then she saw Max.

Max eyed his mother with uncustomary shyness. He was hesitant to approach her, until he saw her eyes light up at the sight of him. In response his lips slowly curled up into a delicious smile. "Mum?"

She held out her arms to him, unable to utter a single word.

He ran towards her, and wrapped his arms around her. "I missed you, Mum. I missed you a lot."

She hugged him so tightly, Robin thought he might suffocate. "You've gotten so tall..."

Max ran his fingers through her hair, holding on to her as tightly as Alex held on to him.

"Did you miss me too, Mum?"

Alex cupped his face in her hands. She couldn't get enough of touching him. "You have no idea how much, Max…"

Robin was crying too when she realized how strong their connection was. Just as she would never have accepted a replacement for her mother, Robin knew no one could ever replace Alex for Max. 'No matter how much I loved him, or he loved me in return, _this_ is how it's meant to be.'

Max took his mother by the hand. "Can we go outside, Mum? Dad showed me this beautiful park by the hotel...there were giant water flowers, that I know you're going to like…and there's so much I want to tell you. I want to tell you about Paris, and the orphanage and school and…" he stole a glance at Robin. "About Robin and the apartment."

Alex nodded, still unable to take her eyes off him for more than a second. "Yes, let's go for a walk. A long walk, because I want to hear everything."

Dimitri looked at her skeptically, "Are you sure you're up for..."

Alex didn't let him finish, "Oh, yes."

Robin felt Dimitri's arms on her shoulder, "You don't mind if the two of us join you, do you?"

Alex took her free hand to reach out for Dimitri's, her face lit up in a radiant smile, "Not at all."

_One week later _

_Hyde Park, London_

Robin reclined on a park bench, yawning as she sat in the warm afternoon sun. Dimitri had rented a rowboat and gone out on the pond with Max. They weren't the only ones, she thought, spotting dozens of other rowboats on the water. Alex had gone down to the edge to feed the ducks.

It was a glorious afternoon, perfect for a nap in sunshine.

She didn't have her eyes closed for more than a few seconds when she felt drops of ice cold water splash her face, making her jump up in shock.

She heard Alex laugh, as she sat down next to her. "Just checking to see if you're sleeping."

Robin wiped the water off her face. "Well, I was. No wonder Max is such a pest. It's all your genes."

Alex raised her eyebrows, "Don't let Dimitri's good manners fool you. I'd blame him for any of Max's devious inclinations..." She handed Robin an ice-cream cone.

Robin took it and glanced at Alex, smirking. "Did I say I wanted ice-cream?" It was her favourite, chocolate-vanilla swirl. How Alex could possibly have known that was beyond her.

"Dimitri says you're too skinny."

Robin laughed, "All I've done all week is eat! If I keep it up, I'll need a whole new wardrobe." Every night since their reunion, they had gone out for dinner together, to some of the most incredible restaurants Robin had ever been to. But it wasn't the meals, as fabulous as they had been, that Robin had loved the most. It was that wonderful feeling that she was a part of a family again. _Her_ family.

Robin couldn't remember the last time she had that sense of belonging. ''Not since Jason…' she thought. As much as she cherished her independence, this last week her in London had been blissfull. She'd even stopped protesting when Dimitri insisted on paying for everything, including a beautiful suite at a hotel near Alex's flat. "Don't bother," Alex had told her. "He won't have it any other way."

Alex interrupted her thoughts, "It's going to melt if you don't eat it."

Robin handed her the cone, "Have half of it…"

Alex took a bite, before handing it back to Robin. It was melting and drops of ice cream spilled onto Robin's shorts.

"Oh no! Sorry!"

Robin rolled her eyes. "I bet. You just needed an excuse to throw more water at me." She glanced at her aunt, smirking. On the surface Alex seemed so sophisticated. Aloof even. While she was undoubtedly more serious and reserved than her mother had been, there was more to her than that, Robin was beginning to realize. There was a lot of warmth beneath that cool surface.

While her mother had always been restless and impulsive, Alex, by contrast was largely calm and unhurried. And while her mother once needed occasional doses of civilty in her chaotic life, whether it was a perfectly boiled cup of Earl Grey tea or the patient, intricate way she used to braid her daughter's hair, Alex also had an unexpected wild streak that was out of place with her orderly life. It was something Robin had discovered after she sat behind the wheel of a car with her aunt.

Robin still remembered her heart racing, after Alex had taken her on a drive in her Porsche, four days ago.

"Dimitri thinks I'm a reckless driver, but I'm not. I just like... driving reasonably fast," she had tried to explain to her niece, her casual tone of voice suggesting she truly believed what she was saying.

In turn Robin had grimaced, her knuckles white from holding on to the headboard, "I think this time I'm going to have to agree with Dimitri..."

At first, the differences between her mother and Alex had disappointed Robin. She knew that each time she looked at Alex, she was secretly searching for traces of her mother. But as the days passed, she grew to appreciate the differences. Grew to love Alex for who _she_ was, rather than for her resemblance to her mother.

In fact, Robin, thought with a smile, Alex turned out to have more in common with _her_, than her mother.

Robin thought back to her uncle's reaction after she had graduated from Med School at the Sorbonne.

"I'm so proud of you," he had told her then, holding an immense bouquet of brightly coloured flowers in his hand. "I know your parents would be too. Proud beyond belief, Doctor Scorpio."

"They'd probably be shocked beyond belief. I mean, with my genes, shouldn't I have joined the CIA or something?"

Mac had hugged her then. "I guess you're right, medical science isn't exactly a Scorpio trait. It just makes you even more special, Robin. You're the only doctor in the family. It doesn't matter where you got this gift from."

'I think I know where I got it from now,' she thought as she took another bite of her ice cream. She thought of Mac too, 'Wait 'til you find out I'm not the only doctor in the family after all.'

She looked over at Alex, who too had closed her eyes, in the afternoon sunshine, 'In fact, my aunt just so happens to be one of the most brilliant minds in modern medicine.' Alex had casually mentioned to her one morning, over breakfast, that her specialty wasn't Emergency Medicine, but stem cell research. "Mind you, I'm hardly alone. As you know, it's the hottest field of research at the moment. But it was always my pet project, long before the media got a hold of its potential."

Her aunt's casual admission had prompted Robin to spend some time in her hotel's Internet Centre to see whether she could learn anything about Alex's research. What she did find astonished her. Although it wasn't an area of medicine she knew much about, she didn't have to, to know that her aunt's achievements were exceptional.

Dimitri had interrupted her Internet search when he'd come by to pick her up for dinner.

"Do you have any idea, what an amazing doctor your wife is?" Robin had asked him incredulously.

Dimitri had smirked, "I think I do. In fact, if it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't be standing here today."

"What do you mean?" Robin had asked, puzzled.

"I was dying when I met Alex. She was my doctor before she was wife."

Robin wasn't sure what to say, unable to picture the vigorous man in front of her as anything but healthy. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Don't be." Dimitri shook his head, "I'm not sorry. It turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. Knowing I was dying changed who I was. It made me a different person. It also led me to the love of my life."

The knowledge made Robin shiver involuntarily as she thought of Stone. 'What if I had been a doctor then, and he had depended on me to save his life?'

"What are you thinking?" Alex asked her, lifting her sunglasses and bringing Robin back to the present again.

"I'm thinking that I've got a lot of work ahead of me if I want to follow in your footsteps."

"Did Dimitri tell you that I'm the next Marie Curie?" Alex laughed. "Don't believe it."

"He told me that on the first day he saw you, as a patient in your office, you told him you were going to save his life."

Alex nodded, "I did, yes."

"He had a prion disease Alex! Prion diseases are not my area of expertise, but I do know they're highly malevolent and incurable. To tell someone who's dying of prion disease that you're going to save them, is unheard of. If I heard a doctor tell a patient that, I'd think they're either crazy, arrogant beyond words, grossly overconfident or lying outright."

Alex raised her brows in amusement, "Wow… tell me what you really think."

Robin blushed, "That came out a little strong...it's just that what you told Dimitri, is crazy, Alex! That you actually did cure him, is even crazier."

"I gave him a pep talk, that's all," Alex told her. "I didn't know whether I could save him. But I knew if I could get him to believe it, maybe I could too. I'm not brilliant, Robin, contrary to what Dimitri might have told you. It's like saying Mozart was brilliant because he composed music when he was five years old. He had a gift, that's all. When other researchers look into a microscope, and discover a rogue cell doing something unexpected, they visualize what that could mean four or five steps into the future. Me, I can visualize what the ramifications of that might be; maybe _twelve_ steps into the future. That's the only difference. It's just a gift, that's all."

"It's one hell of a gift, Alex. I'm scared to hope that I might have inherited some of it…" Her words were interrupted when Max came running towards them.

He jumped up onto the bench, plopping himself down between the two of them. "Did you watch me and Dad?" he asked them. "We hit another boat by mistake," he started giggling at the recollection. "Because the water started to splash, this lady in the other boat got all wet."

"Oh my," Robin grinned. "Like mother, like son."

Dimitri had arrived at the bench too, his shirt drenched with water. "The guy who runs the row boat rentals asked us to exit the water…"

Alex rolled her eyes, "I can't take you two anywhere." Dimitri draped a wet arm around her shoulder making her cringe.

"You're all wet!"

"Now that's karma," Robin told her gleefully, pointing to her stained shorts.

"Look Dad, Robin's got ice cream," Max pointed out.

"You're right, she does. Shall we steal hers or get our own?"

Alex gave Max a push off the bench, "Don't even think about taking hers!"

Dimitri laughed and gave Alex a kiss before grabbing Max's hand, "Come on, we'll get our own. We won't let them have a single bite."

Robin loved watching Dimitri around Alex. The way he looked at her, and the way her eyes lit up at his touch. The closeness they shared made Robin smile. Maybe it was possible to love someone as much as you did the day you first fell in love with them. She often caught stolen glances between them and Dimitri's hands always seemed to touch Alex somehow. Seeing their intimacy made her long not only for Stone, but also for her own parents.

"Looks like we'll be here for at least another half hour," Alex sighed.

"At this rate we'll never make it to Harrods…" Robin agreed.

They had already planned on going shopping two days ago, when Dimitri had taken Max to an afternoon soccer game. But before heading out, Alex had put on a fresh pot of tea, and as they sat down to drink it, they started a conversation that would last all afternoon.

Robin had told Alex about her parents and her life growing up in Port Charles, which in turn led to countless questions about her mother.

"I always imagined Anna as being so strong, invincible really," Alex had told her. "But when you tell me about her, she seems…so human. As vulnerable as anyone else."

"My Mom _was_ strong," Robin said softly. "But I think sometimes she cared too much. She tried hard to make up for her past mistakes, and she'd go out of her way for those she loved, regardless of her own safety. I think that deep down, she didn't think she deserved being as happy as she was towards the end with my Dad, when in fact nobody deserved happiness more than she did."

And with every question Robin answered, Alex would find another one, fascinated by every facet of her mother's life.

"Did she ride?"

"You mean like, horses?" Robin had laughed, "My mom…no, definitely not!"

"What was her favourite time of the day?"

"That's a tough one. I don't remember her being much of a morning person. Does that help?"

"Me neither," Alex had grinned, as if happy to discover a connection to the sister she never knew. " I'm a night owl and Sanjay used to spoil me by giving me the evening shifts at St. Bart's."

As the afternoon went on, Robin didn't just tell her about her mother, but about Mac, Stone, Jason, Sonny and Brenda. About her friends and the people she had loved before coming to Paris.

Robin was touched by Alex's tears when she told her about Stone's illness and how he had ultimately died by her side.

"Oh God…Robin. It must have been so hard for you. To face that alone, without your parents."

"It _was_ hard, Alex," she had admitted, surprising herself with her candour, "I would have given anything to have my parents there for me…but I don't regret falling in love with Stone, not even when I discovered I was HIV positive. I don't think I would be the same person today if I hadn't fallen in love with him."

The fact that Robin was able to share something rarely did, seemed to give Alex the trust she needed to do the same,with some startling admissions about her own past. Robin listened in disbelief as Alex told her about Charlotte Devane and Brynn Wydd.

"I killed people, Robin. I told myself that the people I killed deserved their fate, that it was the only way to keep Max and myself alive. But no matter how much I tried to justify it, the truth was that every time I returned from one of Charlotte's assignments, someone else was dead and I was always the one who pulled the trigger. Never Charlotte. I hated her for turning me into something that I wasn't. I hated her so much, Robin."

Judging from the way her aunt's eyes darkened, Robin sensed it wasn't a topic she often, if ever broached.

"Alex...I ask you something?"

"Yes..."

"I noticed the other day...when you took off your bracelet. There are scars on your wrist. The lines...they look like cuts." Robin regretted wanting to know what caused them, when she saw Alex's gaze turn away from hers, embarassed.

_Idiot. _Robin's cheeks blushed a crimson red. _You have no right to ask that kind of question. You have no right to hurt her like that. _

Alex had taken Robin's hand in hers, letting her know it was fine. "I've never told anyone about this, Robin. No one. Not even Dimitri. The only one who knows how I got these scars is my closest friend, Heidi. You see, Robin, I made a pact with Charlotte after she had kidnapped me and I found out I was pregnant. I told her I would do whatever she asked of me, as long as she kept away from my child. If didn't I would kill myself. So the first time she threatened Max, I _had_ to make her believe I would go through with it…or else he would have become nothing but a pawn for her, a pawn in an endless game of blackmail."

Alex had weighed her words carefully, "I had it all planned. The timing and the amount of blood loss…everything. But...", she'd given Robin a lopsided smile, "It didn't exactly go according to plan. I almost did kill myself. I ended up losing so much blood I became anemic."

_And you think my Mom was the strong one._ Robin suddenly felt a profound admiration for her aunt. "But why not tell Dimitri? You did it for Max. It was an amazing act of love, Alex…"

"I can't see it that way Robin. I almost left my son alone in the clutches of my mother. Dimitri has asked me about the scars, but I know if I told him the truth it would hurt him. I also know if I tell him the truth, I'd have to tell him the whole truth. That maybe it wasn't such a brave thing to do. The truth is there was a part of me that hoped that I would succeed, because I had become so ashamed of what I was doing to survive."

The words had made Robin cry and she wished she could have killed the monster who had done this to her aunt.

Alex nudged Robin on the park bench, and once again, brought her back to the present.

"There's something I've wanted to ask you, for a couple of days now."

"Go ahead," Robin said lazily, yawning. The sunshine had made her sleepy.

"Would you consider coming to Pine Valley with us?"

The question jolted her wide awake. "I…" Robin looked at her in astonishment. "I don't know what to say to that."

Alex smiled, "How about yes?"

"I don't know…I have a life in Paris, a job and an apartment."

"Pine Valley has a great hospital, Robin. In fact…I can think of a couple of doctors I'd love to introduce you to."

"I just don't know...maybe it's better to put some distance between me and Max, for the time being."

Although she tried to hide it, the disappointment was written all over Alex's face. "I don't agree. Max loves you and we'd love for you to become a part of our family at Wildwind…but I do understand if you can't."

Robin smirked, suddenly sure of what her answer was. "Maybe I could use a family around me for a change. Someone to pester me to not eat ice-cream right before I got to bed."

"Are you saying what I think…?"

"I'm thinking that maybe a stay in Pine Valley, is a really nice idea."

"Oh, Robin!" Alex turned to embrace her. "You have no idea how happy that makes me."

Robin was surprised at how happy the impulse decision had made _her_. "I do have a favour to ask you in return."

"Anything."

"I want you to come to Port Charles with me. You and Max, I want you to meet my uncle Mac."

Alex didn't hesitate, "I'd love to."


	48. Final Chapter and Epilogue

**Chapter XLVIII**

_The finer things keep shining through  
The way my soul gets lost in you  
The finer things I feel in me  
The golden dance life could be_

_St.Bartholomew's Hospital, London, England _

_The next day_

As soon as Alex entered the busy hospital where she'd worked for the past seven months and saw the chaos around her, it gave her a sudden longing to grab a lab coat and stethoscope and get back to work.

"So this is where you worked?" Max asked her. He'd stayed behind in London with her while Dimitri and Robin had flown to Paris to pack up her and Max's belongings. Alex was certain that Max would want to join them, but to her surprise he'd insisted on staying here with her. In fact, just as she was reluctant to leave him out of her sight for longer than a few minutes, Max too seemed to be glued to her side lately.

Alex looked at her son, holding on to her hand in the hospital corridor. He _had_ changed, as much as she tried to tell herself he hadn't. He'd grown and matured, in every sense of the word. Alex didn't think it was possible that she could hate Charlotte any more than she did, but each time she looked at Max, she wanted to curse her again for destroying an innocence that Max would never be able to recapture.

Later tonight, Alex would drive to Brynn Wydd with Max, where they would stay with Heidi for a few days before Robin and Dimitri joined them there. Then the four of them would fly back to Pine Valley together.

"This is it," she told him. "Crazy place, huh?"

A nurse wheeled a stretcher past them, carrying an elderly lady, moaning in pain. Max stared at her. "What's wrong with her?" he asked.

"I don't know, Max."

"Can't you help her?"

Alex shook her head, "I don't work here anymore."

"I wish you did," a voice behind her announced.

Alex turned around to see Sanjay standing behind her. She smiled and gave him a hug. "I'm going to miss you so much," she admitted.

Sanjay smiled at Max, "Have you told your mom we've met before? When you came to see me with your cousin, Robin."

"It's one of the reasons I came to see you." She handed him the medical bag he'd loaned to Robin.

He took it from her, "She told me what happened to you. Have you gone for a complete check up?"

"Between Robin and Dimitri hovering over me, I think you don't have to worry about my health."

Sanjay grinned, "You do look well, Alexandra," he admitted. "Better than well. Maybe getting fired was good for your health."

Alex looked at Max, "Nah…the best thing for my health is standing right here in front of me, right, my little Count?"

He shrugged his shoulders, not having listened to what she was saying. Still, he gave her one of his lopsided grins, "Sure."

"I still hate what Watson did," Sanjay told her as they walked towards his office. "He had no right to fire you. You have every right to protest his actions."

"It doesn't matter, Sanjay. He saved me the trouble of having to quit."

"It's a matter of principle, Alexandra. A madman kidnaps you and as a result, you're fired? It's wrong! It's so wrong that it made me realize I can't work for a man like that anymore."

"What?"

"I handed in my resignation yesterday."

Alex raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Well…it looks like I might not have to work so hard then, to try and sell you the second reason I came to see you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know that before I came here my main job was running the Andrassy Foundation."

"Yes."

"The Andrassy Foundation used to be dedicated to finding cures for rare diseases, mostly of a neurological origin, but over the years it's come to encompass funding and research for not just rare but all incurable disease. AIDS and other sub-Saharan viral infections in particular."

"Alright..."

"A lot of our research and distribution of funds is now focused on Africa, especially in countries that are members of the British Commonwealth. It would make sense for the Foundation to have an office in London from which to delegate those projects."

Sanjay raised his hands in defence, seeing where she was headed, "Alexandra…if this is what I think you're suggesting…I couldn't. I'm not a researcher like you, you know that."

Alex smiled, "The work would be largely administrative, something you're more than familiar with give your current position. A small part of it would be hands-on medical work, as you travel to the actual sites, mostly in Africa."

"You're saying you want me to head up the future London office of the Andrassy Foundation?"

"If you're interested, that is. And don't mind working for a terrible ER physician."

Sanjay laughed out loud, "You're never going to let me forget that, are you?"

She stood on her toes to kiss his cheek, "You don't have to answer me right away." She handed him a card, "This is my number in Pine Valley. I'll be there next week. But I have to warn you, I can be persistent. If you don't call me, I'll call _you_."

He nodded, watching Max eye the hectic activity in the hallway. "I _will_ call you."

Alex took Max's hand and gave Sanjay a final kiss goodbye. "I'll forward to working with you again. And thank you, Sanjay. Thank you for everything."

He watched her walk down the hallway for the final time, as his pager went off. "No…thank _you_," he whispered, even though he knew she couldn't hear.

_**Epilogue **_

_Two months later _

_Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley, PA_

It was a hot, languid summer evening. The skies had turned a misty pink after the sunset and Alex sat outside, on the grounds of Wildwind, exhausted after having taken Edmund's latest acquisition, a young, black thoroughbred stallion named Oracle, for a exhilarating ride around the grounds.

She pressed an ice-cold glass of iced tea against her forehead, in an attempt to cool off

She barely noticed Dimitri sneak up behind her as he leaned in to kiss the nape of her neck. "Tired already?" he teased.

"I didn't think you'd be back for another few hours," She reached up to return his kiss. "Have you ridden Oracle? He's incredible, Dimitri. Young and temperamental, but so much potential."

"Unlike our own little rider over there…" He sat down next to Alex as he watched Maddie helping Max mount one of his ponies, in the distance. Even after countless attempts, Dimitri had little luck in interesting his son in becoming a better rider. He cringed as he watched him. "He looks like a sack of potatoes sitting on that horse, Alex. It's a good thing Maddie has the patience of Job. Are you sure that's our son, darling?"

"What are you talking about? He looks just like you do when you ride," she laughed as she loosened Dimitri's tie. He had just flown back from a business meeting in New York City.

"This is what I get for racing to catch an early flight home? Insults?"

"Besides," she said, ignoring his remark, "Max is looking for a little more horsepower than your pony over there. He told me he wants to be a racecar driver. The next Michael Schumacher."

Dimitri almost choked, after he took a sip of her iced tea. "Over my dead body. What is it with you two and speed anyway? Come to think of it, what are you doing riding the wildest horse in the stables? "

Alex took the glass from his hands and took off her riding cap, to lie down in the warm, soft grass, pulling Dimitri down with her, into a deep kiss.

"You didn't answer me…" he protested.

She kissed him again, cutting him off in mid-sentence.

"Hey…the kids could be watching us."

"Maybe we can teach them something," she laughed.

"I'm not sure I want to teach them _that_ just yet…" Dimitri pushed himself off the grass, without taking his eyes off her. "By the way…before I forget. I brought you something."

He opened his briefcase, pulled out a small, blue rectangular box and handed it to her.

"A gift? What's the occasion? My birthday's not for months…"

"Do I need a special occasion to bring my wife a gift?"

She winked at him, "Nah…you're right. No special occasion needed."

She was about to open the box when Dimitri stopped her. "Wait…" He took her wrist in his hands and slowly undid the watch she had bought at Heathrow's duty-free shop.

"You don't like my Swatch?" she joked, but then her face was suddenly serious, pausing before she spoke, "I hope this doesn't sound shallow, but more than anything, more than the drugging even, I hate that Faison destroyed the watch you gave me. That watch meant the world to me because for seven long years, that and my wedding ring, were the only tangible things I had to hold on to you."

Dimitri said nothing as he watched her remember that dreadful night in London.

She reached out to touch him, running her fingers along his lips. "I'll love whatever you're giving me…but I want you to know that watch was more than a piece of jewellery to me. I never took it off and now it's gone forever because of that man."

"Open it."

Dimitri watched her eyes widen in shock, as she opened the box.

She took out the watch, "How is this possible? Dimitri, this is it…it's _my_ watch." It was the same Omega, the metal band still slightly scratched and the same inscription still on the back. _'A love for all time. D.'_ Only the glass covering and the watch face were brand new. "How did you do this?" she asked him, incredulously.

"I saw it in the waste bin, in the hotel room. I have to admit; it took a lot of cajoling to convince this watchmaker in New York that it was worth fixing. He kept telling me I could buy a newer model for the same price, but I told him that's not what I wanted. So…he bregrudgingly repaired it for me."

Alex took a closer look at it, noticing something else was different about it. There were three small diamonds on the watch face, their slight blue hue glistening in the last rays of the day's sunlight. "Marick diamonds…"

"One for each of us. You, me and Max."

It was an incredible gift, and Alex couldn't help the emotions it unleashed.

Dimitri smiled as he wiped away her tears, "So you like it then?"

"How can you ask me that? I _love_ it!"

"There's always room for another diamond…"

Alex laughed, "I guess we can't do more than try, and heaven knows we've been doing our fair share of that." She glanced towards the darkening sky, "The rest is up to him."

Dimitri's expression too turned serious now, "You know…if we're blessed with another child, it would be _wonderful_ but I'll be content if we just have a chance to live a normal life, together, you, me and Max."

"We will this time…please don't think we won't."

"I hate that Faison is still out there somewhere."

"I won't think about him…I can't. I'd like to think that he's realized that I'm not Anna. That whatever bizarre obsession he had with her might be over now."

"I hope so…" Dimitri mumbled. He nudged her back down onto the soft grass, running his fingers through her hair as he did, watching blades of grass intertwine themselves in it. He bent down to kiss her again just as Max came running towards them.

Dimitri cringed as he watched Max plop himself on Alex's stomach, while she was lying on the ground, and he deftly picked him up. "I don't think so buddy. Your mother's not a pony, and you're not thirty pounds anymore."

Max wriggled out of his grasp, and moved to lie down next to her, "You're right…" he conceded, looking at Alex. "You smell much nicer, Mum."

She tousled his hair, grinning, "Glad to hear. Is your riding lesson with Maddie already finished?"

"She says I suck," he told her wistfully.

Alex burst out laughing, "So much for the patience of Job, huh, darling?"

"What can I say? She _is_ a teenager. Even Edmund's genes don't help out there." Dimitri pointed out.

"You don't suck Max, you just need a little more practice…" Alex smirked. "Okay, maybe a _lot_ of practice. But let's worry about that later…I'm starving, why don't you get changed for dinner? Robin's going to join us tonight."

"If you promise not to make me ride that horse again."

"No problem. You can ride Dad's horse tomorrow."

Max's mind obviously pictured the huge, daunting brown stallion he had seen at the stables and gave her a look of disbelief. "You won't, will you?"

Alex laughed and when Max realized she was joking he picked up a handful of grass and threw it at her. "You're so mean." He picked up another handful and threw that at her too, before running away towards the estate. "Can't catch me without your horse, can you?"

Dimitri chuckled, as he watched Alex spit out the grass.

"Devil," she said, giggling as she got up, picking up a handful of grass, ready to chase after him but Dimitri stopped her, grabbing her by the waist.

"Hey…how about no more racing today? Not on horseback, not on foot. Or behind the wheel for that matter."

Alex rolled her eyes, and threw the grass at him instead. "You're no fun."

He shook the grass off his suit, still holding on to her. "Wait until later today, and I'll show you just how much fun I can be…"

She didn't resist when he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her, as they started to walk back to Wildwind. "You do know you drive me crazy, don't you?"

He nodded, "I try…" His lips curled into a smile, stealing a glance at her when she wasn't looking. As he reached for her hand, he closed his eyes to revel in the soft warmth of the evening air. He felt the coolness of her watch against his hand, pleased to see it there again, 'Slowly,' he thought, 'Things are returning to normal. And this time there's nothing I won't do, to make sure they stay that way.'

_Two hundred feet in the distance, a man with pockmarked skin and shoulder-length grey hair observed the scene before him. They reminded him of two teenagers in love, and the sight made him uncomfortable. _

_He frowned as he folded up his binoculars and lit a cigar. _

_Then he quietly moved out of the bushes and left. _

_He had seen enough. _

_For today._

**The end**

Lyrics from "The Finer Things" by Steve Winwood


End file.
